All the pressure fell on Laura Wolvaardt‘s shoulders as the Proteas clashed against England in the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, October 29, at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, India.
The skipper’s breathtaking innings not only led her team to a 125-run victory but also secured their place at their first-ever World Cup final.
They will face the winner of the second semi-final between India and Australia, which is currently taking place in Navi Mumbai, India.
Wolvaardt also etched her name into the record books when she reached her 5 000-run milestone, making her the second fastest woman to ever reach 5000 Women’s ODI runs.
She scored 169 runs off 143 balls, including 20 fours and four sixes, becoming the first South African woman to achieve a World Cup semi-final century and the first captain to do so in a knockout match.
Wolvaardt now joins an elite list of only six women to achieve this feat in ODIs. She stands alongside legends such as Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Meg Lanning, Stafanie Taylor and Charlotte Edwards, marking her place among the global greats.
Laura Wolvaardt in action.
Ten interesting facts about Wolvaardt
1. Early in her career, Wolvaardt fitted neatly into the template of a child prodigy. She made her debut for Western Cape when she was just 13 years old and played for the Under-19 squad.
2. In September 2019, Wolvaardt was a part of the inaugural Women’s T20 Super League in South Africa.
3. She also plays for the Brisbane Heat’s squad and the Adelaide Strikers in Australia, the Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals in England and the Gujarat Giants (India).
4. In 2016, Wolvaardt became the youngest female to make 100 for South Africa in international cricket.
5. In 2017, she was named Women’s Newcomer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards.
South African Women’s Cricket captain, Laura Wolvaardt.
6. In July 2020, Wolvaardt was named South Africa’s Women’s Cricketer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards ceremony and was named in the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year in the 2021 ICC Awards.
7. She made her Test debut in June 2022, and in July 2024, Wolvaardt scored her maiden Test century against India, becoming the third woman to score a century in all three international formats, following Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont.
8. In March 2024, she scored her maiden century in T20I cricket, against Sri Lanka.
9. Wolvaardt was nominated for the Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year and Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in the 2024 ICC Awards.
10. Wolvaardt is the South Africa captain for all three formats. She led them to the final of the T20 World Cup that South Africa hosted in 2024, also ending it as the leading run-scorer for them in the tournament.
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