South Africa has long been a thorn in England's side at World Cups, having thwarted their progress to the final in both the 2020 and 2023 editions. On Monday, there was a palpable sense of relief as England finally broke the spell, winning by seven wickets, albeit in the final over, to secure the top spot in Group B. This victory was largely thanks to an unbeaten 48 from Nat Sciver-Brunt.
South Africa now faces the challenge of defeating both Bangladesh and Scotland to guarantee their qualification for the semi-finals. Meanwhile, England is in a strong position not only to advance from the group stages but also to potentially avoid reigning champions Australia in the semi-finals, who are expected to top Group A.
Heather Knight had cautioned on Saturday that, given the tricky conditions at Sharjah, England's World Cup batting performance would not always be 'sexy'. However, despite the need to grind out runs during the first half of their chase, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sciver-Brunt managed to find enough gaps to forge a 64-run partnership, bringing England close to victory. Wyatt-Hodge was stumped with 11 runs still needed, but Sciver-Brunt's elegant cover drive for four sealed the win with four balls to spare.
Chasing a tricky target of 125, Marizanne Kapp initially put pressure on England during the powerplay by delivering two maiden overs and swinging the ball unpredictably, leading to Maia Bouchier being trapped leg-before. The outcome might have been different had Alice Capsey been caught out for a duck three balls later, but the catch was dropped by Anneke Bosch at backward point. Capsey went on to score 19 runs in 16 balls, including back-to-back boundaries off Chloe Tryon.
By the time Kapp returned for her final over, Sciver-Brunt had settled in and managed to find the leg-side boundary twice, costing Kapp 12 runs and allowing England to push for the win. Earlier, South Africa's captain, Laura Wolvaardt, anchored her team's innings with 42 runs from 39 balls, while Kapp and Annerie Dercksen contributed six boundaries to take South Africa to 124 for six, the highest total scored at Sharjah during this World Cup.
However, England's four-pronged spin attack was effective, with Sophie Ecclestone dismissing both Wolvaardt and Kapp at the end, as both batters attempted to boost South Africa's score. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits had set a strong start for South Africa against West Indies on Friday, each scoring an unbeaten half-century, and they continued their aggressive approach here, adding 31 runs in the first five overs. Their aggression put the England fielders under pressure, with four catches missed before drinks were served.
England also missed an opportunity to run out Kapp with the first ball, throwing to the wrong end before Amy Jones's wild throw went wide, allowing Kapp to make her ground. Brits was eventually caught at long-on in the sixth over, attempting to hit over the top, and Bosch's agonizing innings of 18 off 26 balls ended in the 14th over as she tried to break free with a ramp shot and was bowled by Sarah Glenn.
