Guwahati, Oct 28 (PTI) South Africa will hope to address their batting frailties against spin and produce a solid all-round show when they face four-time champions England in the first semifinal of the ICC Women’s World Cup here on Wednesday.
En route to the knockout stage, South Africa suffered two heavy defeats and their batting came apart against spin on both occasions.
Left gutted after being bowled out for 69 in their opening game, the South Africans recovered well to record narrow but gritty wins over New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
However, their struggles against spin resurfaced in the final league game against Australia, who bundled them out for just 97 in 24 overs.
While the South African batters failed to pick the line and were undone by the drift against England, they were completely left gobsmacked by Alana King’s leg-spin in the match against Australia.
England will look to exploit this South African weakness again and rely not only on their all-round strength but also on their spin trio of Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean to stifle the South African batters.
Seamer Lauren Bell will need to apply pressure early on, while Alice Capsey has been in good bowling rhythm, having claimed five wickets.
For South Africa, captain Laura Wolvaardt has led from the front with 301 runs in seven matches at an average of 50.16, including three half-centuries. But except for Wolvaardt, few South African batters have shown consistent form.
Tazmin Brits, who struck 101 against India in Indore, has since managed three ducks, a 55 and a 6, underlining her shaky form. She had scored three consecutive centuries before the World Cup, and South Africa will hope she can provide a solid start on the big day.
Sune Luus (157 runs) and Marizanne Kapp (162) have also been inconsistent, contributing to the team’s batting woes. Some of their shot selection against Australia were questionable, and they will need to be spot on with their execution against England.
England, on the other hand, will head into the high-pressure clash with plenty of confidence, having hammered South Africa by 10 wickets in their tournament opener at the same venue.
For England, it has been a strong comeback since their home series loss to India. Under coach Charlotte Edwards, the team has shown plenty of character. They too lost to Australia in the league phase but still finished second behind their arch-rivals with 11 points.
England have looked a formidable unit for most parts of the tournament, but their campaign has not been without stumbles. Batting collapses and nervy finishes have occasionally exposed their soft underbelly in pressure situations.
Their close shave against Bangladesh and a rain-hit clash against Pakistan underlined those frailties. While they scraped through with a four-wicket win over Bangladesh, Pakistan pacer Fatima Sana laid bare their vulnerability to inswingers with a four-wicket haul that reduced them to 133 for nine.
Captain Heather Knight (288) and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones (220) have been the most dependable in the middle order, but opener Tammy Beaumont’s (210) inconsistency has hurt their starts.
All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt remains the heartbeat of the side, though her returns have fluctuated, a century against Sri Lanka followed by single-digit scores against Pakistan and Australia.
Among the others, middle-order batters Emma Lamb and Sophia Dunkley are yet to produce innings of substance, something England will be desperate to correct in the semifinal.
South Africa, meanwhile, boast a mixed bowling attack, but if the wicket assists spin, Nonkululeko Mlaba — with 11 wickets in the tournament — will be crucial. They will also depend heavily on Kapp to maintain tight lines and lengths with the new ball.
The teams will also have their eyes on the sky as showers are expected in Guwahati on the day of the first semi-final. Although there is a reserve day, but if there is no result, the team that finished higher on the points table will progress into the final.
The Teams (From): England: Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon.
Match starts at 3pm IST. PTI ATK ATK PDS PDS
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