Match 13, Mount Maunganui, March 14, 2022, 06:30 AM
England Women
235/9(50.0ov)
South Africa Women
236/7(49.2ov)
South Africa Women beat England Women by 3 wickets
Right then! That is all we have from this enthralling encounter but the action in the 2022 Women's World Cup continues on Tuesday, the 15th of March. Australia Women will take on West Indies Women in what seems to be a tasty battle. That match will start at 3.30 am IST (10 pm GMT, the previous day) but the build up will begin a lot sooner. Do join us for that one. Cheers!
South Africa Women captain, Sune Luus says that they have a world-class bowling line up and they wanted to put the opposition under pressure. She says that Kapp has been class and she is an inspiration for young boys and girls. States that this was a team effort and she is proud of it. She says that they have made history today and says that everyone back in South Africa would be very happy and proud. Tells that it is exciting to win games even though they have not played their best cricket.
Heather Knight the England Women skipper, says that it is a difficult pill to swallow losing three games in a row and they just shot themselves on the foot while fielding early on. Adds that they would have liked to get 15-20 runs more. Tells that they need to win their remaining games and win them well to have a shot and just have to beat India in the next game.
Marizanne Kapp is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her five-wicket haul and also for her antics with the bat at the death. Kapp says that she wants to thank God firstly. Tells that this was a big game for them and they are happy to win this game. She mentions that they all remember the last semi-final and came out with better plans today. She says that they have still not played their best cricket but have stitched together wins and that is a good thing for them.
Time for the presentation...
England Women will feel hard done yet again but once again it could have been really different had they held onto their chances early in the innings but instead for only the second time in the history of this competition they have failed to defend a score of above 200. This has now become a pattern for the defending champions who are now seriously in danger of getting knocked out of the competition. Anya Shrubsole gave them the perfect start by knocking over the dangerous Lizelle Lee but they couldn't press the issue for the next 10 overs or so. The wicket did come but once again the English bowlers allowed Wolvaardt and Luus to build up a partnership. The wickets did come though in the latter half of the innings and Sophie Ecclestone bowled her heart out. But the experience of Katherine Brunt and Natalie Sciver wasn't seen as both of them gave away boundaries at important stages of the chase. England now have to win all their remaining matches and pray for a miracle to make it through to the semifinals.
South Africa Women are the team on the rise and it is now the third time in a row that they have managed to get over the line in a pressure situation. This tells you how good they are holding on to their nerves when it gets edgy out there. After losing power-hitter Lizelle Lee early in the innings, the repair work was done by Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits. Brits fell but Wolvaardt carried on and was well supported by the skipper Sune Luus. The pair put their team in a commanding position with Wolvaardt getting to yet another half century. Both of them fell though in quick succession and it was then time for Marizanne Kapp to step up with the bat. Kapp hit a few lusty blows but got out before crossing the finish line. The experience of Trisha Chetty and Shabnim Ismail though saw South Africa home and along with the Aussies, they are looking like the team to beat.
My word! How many more humdingers are we going to see in this tournament? South Africa Women have managed to make it three wins in a row and it has been a gutsy victory over the defending champions. It's their highest ever successful run-chase in a World Cup match and they have beaten England for the first time in a World Cup game in over 20 years. England Women succumb to a third straight defeat and all of them have gone down the wire. The defending champions seem to be on the brink of getting knocked out of the competition already.
In over# 50
1
1wd
2
Natalie Sciver 21/1(4.2)
49.2
1
South Africa Women win! What a victory this is! Natalie Sciver bangs this one short on middle. Trisha Chetty pulls it over the mid-wicket fielder in the ring and takes a single needed to win this game. They are all pumped up and rightly so, this was a very important game for both the teams and England have now lost three games in the row. South Africa Women win by 3 wickets with four balls to spare.
49.2
1wd
WIDE! A length delivery down the leg side. Trisha Chetty looks to clip it but misses. Umpire signals this as a wide and just a run needed now! England look down and out now, unless there is some miracle!
49.1
2
NOT OUT! Tight, very tight but two crucial runs for South Africa Women! A length delivery around leg. Trisha Chetty clips it fine towards long leg and tries to come back for the second. The throw is good from the deep and Trisha Chetty dives to make her ground as the keeper whips the bails off. The leg umpire takes it upstairs and it shows that Trisha Chetty is inside her crease. So just 2 needed now!
Is that a Run-Out? The appeal is taken upstairs but looking at Heather Knight's face it looks like Trisha Chetty has made it back in time. The replays roll in and we can see that the bat was slid in before the bails were whipped off.
The experienced Natalie Sciver has been handed the ball. She has struggled with her line a bit today but can she defend 3 runs and pull off a memorable victory?
In over# 49
0
1
1
4
0W
1
Anya Shrubsole 34/2(9)
48.6
.
A dot ball now! 4 runs needed off the final over! A length delivery on middle and leg. Shabnim Ismail makes a little bit room but mistimes her swing to mid-wicket.
48.5
1
Just a boundary away now! A length delivery, outside off. Trisha Chetty hits this to sweeper cover for a single.
48.4
1
Back of a length, on middle. Shabnim Ismail works it towards square leg for a single.
48.3
4
FOUR! This will ease the nerves for South Africa Women! A length delivery, outside off. Shabnim Ismail throws her bat at it and gets this through backward point for a boundary.
Shabnim Ismail who walked off the pitch in the first innings with a toe injury comes out to bat. Could she be the hero for her side?