The highly anticipated 1st Semi Final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 took center stage at Guwahati’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium on October 29, 2025, pitting South Africa Women against England Women. South Africa posted a challenging total of 319/7 in their allotted 50 overs, thanks to a magnificently commanding innings by captain Laura Wolvaardt who smashed 169 runs. The Proteas showed resilience and skill with the bat, supported by impactful contributions from Tazmin Brits (45) and Marizanne Kapp who made 42. The stage was then set for a tough chase for the English side, who faced a daunting target of 320 runs to secure their place in the final.
Marizanne Kapp’s explosive bowling performance removes Heather Knight and Amy Jones early
South Africa’s all-rounder Kapp made an electrifying impact at the start of the England innings, delivering a stunning double-wicket maiden over that left the England camp reeling. In her very first over, Kapp dismantled England’s top order by shattering the stumps of Amy Jones and Heather Knight in quick succession.
The first wicket came when Amy Jones pressed forward to a fullish delivery outside off stump, expecting it to move away, but Kapp’s mastery in seam bowling made the ball dart back sharply to crash through the off stump. Jones departed for a duck without scoring. Moments later, Kapp bowled a delivery to Heather Knight just outside off stump that Knight failed to negotiate with proper footwork. She chopped it onto the stumps, adding another golden duck to England’s woes.
This tight and incisive spell put South Africa firmly in control early in the chase, as England were suddenly reeling at 0/2 within the opening over. Kapp’s precision and ability to exploit the pitch conditions showcased her value on this crucial stage of the World Cup.
Here’s the video:
2 wickets in the 1st over itself
That’s marizanne kapp for you
😭🫶😭🫶😭🫶😭🫶😭🫶 pic.twitter.com/Z856XOVHQl— ? (@nazayazkutiya) October 29, 2025
England’s wobbly start in a daunting chase
England’s innings never fully recovered from the early blow dealt by Kapp. Chasing a stiff target of 320, the English batters found themselves well behind the required run rate despite some efforts to steady the innings. By the 14th over, England stood at 59 for 3 wickets, with key batters falling cheaply including Tammy Beaumont. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey managed to hold their ground with scores of 30 and 25 respectively, but the required run rate hovered above 7 runs per over, escalating the pressure. The South African bowlers maintained tight lines and exploited any batting errors, making scoring difficult.
England’s top order collapse set a challenging tone for the chase, as they struggled to build partnerships against a spirited South African bowling attack led by Kapp and others like Ayabonga Khaka. The ask for England remained steep, needing 261 runs from 36 overs at a required run rate hovering above 7, indicating a tough path ahead if they hoped to reach the final.
Also WATCH: Nat Sciver-Brunt and other English players hail Laura Wolvaardt’s century in Semi-final 1
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
