After years of agonizing semi-final defeats, South African veterans Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp finally tasted glory, delivering career-defining performances to lead their team to a 125-run win over England and a historic first-ever 50-over World Cup final.
Wolvaardt, who has 5,121 ODI runs, played her greatest knock. Her 169 was a masterpiece, capped by a 28-ball, 69-run blitz that set a massive 319-run total.
Kapp, the “queen of seam” and another long-serving star, was equally brilliant. She took five for 20, starting with a double-wicket maiden that left England at one for three.
In the process, Kapp also cemented her legacy by becoming the all-time leading wicket-taker in 50-over World Cup history. It was a fitting reward for her perseverance.
The heartbreak of 2017 and 2022 was emphatically erased by the two players who had felt it most. Their combined brilliance ensured that this time, South Africa would not be denied their place in the final.