England continued the revival of their story in the Women’s World Cup on Thursday when Danny Wyatt’s century scored the final with Australia beating South Africa by 137 runs.
Wyatt’s excellent 129, five catches missed and backed by Sophia Dunkley’s 60, England posted 293 for eight in their 50 overs at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Sophie Ecclestone then took the tournament’s best bowling figures of six for 36 as South Africa posted 156 in 38 overs.
Having been on the verge of elimination after losing their first three matches, the defending champions have since won five matches in a row and will now face an unbeaten Australia in Sunday’s final, also at Hagley Oval.
Australia entered the final after beating West Indies by 157 runs in Wellington on Wednesday.
“It was a complete performance for us today, exactly what we were looking for,” said captain Heather Knight, rated his team as an “underdog” against Australia.
“But we are all the same on the morning of the game and if we can do that then what is the story written for us.”
Player of the match Wyatt, who scored just 12 fours in 129 off 125 balls – the tournament’s third highest score – said it was a tough ground to bat on.
“I tried to capitalize on the breadth provided by their bowlers. The limits were huge,” she said.
“It was a strange wicket. We just said run well between the wickets and stay positive.”
It was the second consecutive World Cup when England defeated the Proteas in the semi-finals and continued South Africa’s last four hoodoos, with no men’s or women’s team reaching an ODI or Twenty20 World Cup final.
– Wolvaardt Duck –
He started well after winning the toss and bowled out England for 77 for three but opener Wyatt stood firm.
Dunkley scored 126 for four with Wyatt as the pair added more than six runs for the fifth wicket at 116 runs per over to put England on a strong total.
Wyatt was eventually dismissed by a Masabata Klass ball, caught by Lizelle Lee, who had missed the first opportunity given by Wyatt at the age of 22.
Dunkley scored 60 off 72 balls and Ecclestone’s quick-fire 24 off 11 balls ended the innings in style.
The all-rounder hit three consecutive boundaries before being bowled by Shabnam Ismail in the final over, who finished with South African best figures of three for 46.
South Africa’s run chase began when the tournament’s top run-scorer Laura Wolvaardt was dismissed without a run in the second over and big hitting partner Lee took two wickets in the fourth over.
At eight for two, South Africa were in further trouble when skipper Sune Luce made 21, leaving them 44 for three in the 12th over and well short of the required run rate.
At the halfway stage they were 95 for four with an increasing required run rate of 7.96, proving to be ahead of them as Ecclestone, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, went through the tail to take England to sixth place in the World Cup final. ran away.
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