Welcome to IOL Sport’s live coverage of the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final between South Africa and England in Guwahati.
Can Laura Wolvaardt’s Proteas finally break their semi-final curse and reach a first-ever World Cup final, or will England once again stand in their way? Stay with us for all the action, analysis, and reaction as it unfolds.
13.42PM: KAPP GOES BANG!
Marizanna Kapp working hard to switch the momentum back into the Proteas’ favour. She goes long with a huge SIX! – Zaahier Adams
13.20PM: END OF 30 OVERS
Marizanne Kapp has brought some impetus back into the Proteas innings with a couple of boundaries. The Proteas lost 46/3 in those last 10 overs. A partnership is brewing between Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt to take the Proteas to 149/3 after 30 overs. – Zaahier Adams
13.05PM: ENGLAND GET ANOTHER!
Proteas 126/3 after 26 overs
You miss, I hit! Nat Sciver-Brunt gets Sune Luus. It wasn’t short enough to pull and Luus gets the bottom edge onto the stumps. England have their third. Pressure on South Africa. – Ongama Gcwabe
12.56PM: DOUBLE STRIKE FOR ENGLAND:
Proteas 116/2 after 23 overs
Sophie Ecclestone makes the breakthrough for England, striking twice in the same over.
It was a long time coming. Brits was struggling. She didn’t look comfortable playing that reverse sweep. Ecclestone only needed to bowl wicket-to-wicket. Anneke Bosch follows Brits, bowled trying to shimmy down the wicket.
12.46PM: BRITS GOES DOWNTOWN
Tazmin Brits had had enough of the prodding along. She launches Sophie Eccelstone for a massive SIX down the ground! – Zaahier Adams
12:41PM: 100 UP FOR THE PROTEAS!
The Proteas positive start to the World Cup semi-final continues. Tazmin Brits brings up the milestone with a delicate sweep off Sophie Ecclestone. Laura Wolvaardt’s half-century equalled the record for most 50s (13) in World Cup history. – Zaahier Adams
12.34PM: ENGLAND HIT A BRICK WALL
18 overs in, England Women are yet to take a wicket. They have ran into the brick wall. Wolvaardt and Brits have been rock solid. England need a wicket here to reignite their bowling innings. – Ongama Gcwabe
12.28PM: 50! CAPTAIN LEADING FROM THE FRONT!
Laura Wolvaardt is taking the semi-final by the scruff of the neck. She brings up her 4th half-century of this World Cup in just 52 balls. – Zaahier Adams
An excellent half-century! 💥
A composed captain’s knock on a massive occasion! Laura Wolvaardt demonstrates her precision and class with an outstanding innings in the semi-final. 💪🇿🇦 #Unbreakable#CWC25pic.twitter.com/b17QMLrh0z
Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt’s joins an elite list of women cricketers as she passes 5000 ODI runs. – Zaahier Adams
12.21PM 80/0 IN 15 OVERS – CRICKET IS A FUNNY GAME!
The Proteas have moved past their 69 of their first game blowout without losing a wicket. Nasser Hussain and Natalie Germanos having a chuckle on air, with Germanos teasing Hussain about wanting every opportunity to speak about the Proteas’ previous 69-run capitulation. – Zaahier Adams
12.18PM: BRITS WASTING BALLS
South Africa are struggling to rotate the strike here. 50 dot balls inside 13 overs is just not it. Brits, who seems to be struggling, needs to hand over the strike to Wolvaardt consistently as she searches for rhythm. – Ongama Gcwabe
12.05PM: END OF THE POWERPLAY
An unbeaten 58-run opening stand for South Africa in the opening 10 overs. Laura Wolvaardt has been freely playing her strokes, feasting on the width on offer from England bowlers. England go wicketless for the first time in the tournament as they have continued to stray in lines and lengths. – Ongama Gcwabe
11.42AM: DROPPED!
Tazmin Brits drills a powerful drive straight at Lauren Bell, but it’s hit with so much power that Bell only manages to get her fingertips on it as the ball races away for another Proteas boundary! 18/0 after 2.2 overs. – Zaahier Adams
11.38PM: GOOD START!
Laura Wolvaardt got her team off to the perfect start with successive boundaries off Laura Bell’s first two balls of the innings.
The trademark Wolvaardt cover drive set the tone followed by an outside edge that flew to the third man boundary.
It will certainly help settle the nerves in the Proteas dug out. 9/0 after 1 over
TOSS:The Proteas Women have lost the toss and have been asked to bat first in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final encounter against England Women at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
The Proteas have made one change in the line-up for the semi-final, as they decided to lengthen the batting unit.
The experienced Proteas seamer Masabata Klaas missed out, and top-order batter Anneke Bosch has another opportunity to showcase her skills in the tournament.
Proteas Women’s team to face England
The Proteas Women have a date with destiny in today’s ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final against England in Guwahati.
Laura Wolvaardt’s side will be hoping it’s third time lucky after suffering semi-final heartbreaks in Bristol (2017) and Christchurch (2022) — both against the same formidable opponents. They’ll also be eager to erase any lingering memories of their opening-game mauling by England at this very venue.
With history and pressure stacked against them, it will take not only skill but immense courage and belief if the Proteas are to reach their first-ever ODI World Cup final.
Encouragingly, Wolvaardt’s team have shown plenty of resilience and what many like to call “bounce-back ability”, winning five straight matches since that opening defeat. They’ve discovered a winning rhythm and, crucially, a sense of momentum that could carry them past their biggest hurdle yet.
It’s a blockbuster showdown against England! 💥
The stage is set in Guwahati for what promises to be a thrilling semi-final today at 11:30am! 🏆
There’s no shortage of match-winners in this Proteas side, starting with captain Wolvaardt and her opening partner Tazmin Brits. Both have been relatively quiet so far in the tournament but will be hoping they’ve saved their best for the knockout stages.
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp remains one of the global game’s standout performers and will be desperate to extend what could well be her final World Cup journey. Her experience and temperament under pressure could once again prove invaluable.
The middle order, too, has delivered serious firepower. Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk have embraced their roles as the team’s “Bash Sisters”, finishing innings with intent and aggression. De Klerk, in particular, has been in superb form, striking the ball cleanly and consistently to all parts of the ground.
With the ball, the Proteas have found control and potency through left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, whose consistency and guile have anchored the attack. Her battle against England’s top order could be one of the defining contests of the match.
It’s all set up for a fascinating clash — one dripping with history, tension, and opportunity. Knowing the Proteas’ past, both in the men’s and women’s games, it’s fair to expect drama until the very end.
In a remarkable achievement for South African science, two researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP), Professor Lerothodi Leeuw and Professor Muaaz Bhamjee, alongside their colleagues at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), have been awarded the esteemed 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. This accolade is in recognition of their significant contributions to the ATLAS experiment, which operates at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and […]
