South Africa’s Women’s World Cup campaign got off to a shocking start as they were bowled out for just 69 runs against England in Guwahati, losing by ten wickets. Captain Laura Wolvaardt described the collapse as “one of those days where the top order and the middle order failed on the same day,” but backed her side to bounce back in the tournament.
Wolvaardt on the Collapse
Reflecting on the defeat, Wolvaardt emphasized that South Africa’s preparation had been thorough and the conditions were familiar:
“It was just one of those days where everyone went out early and that happens in cricket sometimes. It was not a pitch that we were super foreign to. We spent a lot of time in these conditions in the last couple of months, so definitely wouldn’t put it on the wicket.”
She added:
“We are much, much better than 69 all out. As a group, we just need to put it behind us as quickly as we can and move forward, because if we take that into the next game, it’s going to be a very long tournament for us.”
The Challenge of England’s Bowling
England’s left-arm spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith, presented different challenges. South Africa had specifically prepared for this, with batting coach Baakier Abrahams overseeing Wolvaardt’s nets, focusing on footwork, shot selection, and forward defence against left-arm spin.
Despite meticulous preparation, Wolvaardt was dismissed by Smith after just two balls, chipping a return catch. Smith then used inswing to dismiss Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp, leaving South Africa four down in only 31 balls.
“You can’t really fault our preparation,” Wolvaardt said. “I had someone bowl like Lauren Bell would and I had the left-armer at me. I had already planned my guard and strong options. To have that soft dismissal today was very disappointing.”
Middle-Order
While South Africa has historically been strong with the bat, the top and middle order failed on this occasion. Since 2023, South Africa’s Nos. 3 to 6 have averaged 28.08 in ODIs, the lowest among the eight World Cup teams. Wolvaardt defended her team:
“Our middle order has actually been better this year than they have ever been… I don’t think that we have any trouble in our middle order at the moment. It’s just one of those days where both top order and middle order didn’t fire.”
Looking Ahead
South Africa’s next match is against New Zealand in Indore on October 6. Wolvaardt and her team will aim to put the heavy defeat behind them and refocus on building confidence and partnerships in the tournament.