ENG W VS SA W 1ST SEMI FINAL

‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity’ - Einstein wasn’t talking about cricket, but he might as well have been. Eight teams walked into this tournament with dreams. Four remain standing - Australia, England, South Africa, and India. The rest? Already on flights home, watching from hotel rooms, living with what-ifs. Guwahati rolls out the red carpet once again. The Barsapara Stadium sits there like a colosseum, nature’s beauty wrapped around a cauldron of pressure. The scenery might be Instagram-perfect, but what’s about to unfold inside those ropes is anything but pretty. This is semifinal cricket at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, where reputations and national pride are at stake. South Africa Women versus England Women. Second playing third. Both teams have earned their stripes to get here, and both have that killer instinct you need at this stage. But here’s the brutal reality - only one walks away. Only one gets to keep dreaming. The other goes home carrying the weight of almost. The Proteas had a dominant run of five straight wins, sandwiched between two of the most gut-wrenching defeats they've suffered in recent times. One of those came against this very opposition, England, in their season opener at this exact venue, when they were bundled up for just 69 runs. The ghosts and scars of that collapse are still raw, and they've been ripped open again by a similar thrashing against the Aussies, rolled for 92. Apart from Pakistan, when they posted 322, batting first hasn't worked out for them against quality opposition. Chasing though? That's where they thrive. Four out of their five wins came while hunting down targets. But most of their success has been built on a relentless bowling unit. They've conceded 250 or more while bowling first just once, and the numbers back up how lethal the likes of Nonkululeko Mlaba and Marizanne Kapp have been with the ball. They've been the backbone in a true sense, as the others have chipped in nicely. Batting-wise, their opening partnership issues remain unresolved. The combination of Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits has produced just one 50-plus stand, which tells its own story. Wolvaardt, though, has been their run machine and the only one of three batters to crack 300-plus runs in this World Cup, whereas Brits is the only centurion in the side so far. The fact that Nadine De Klerk, with her explosive middle-order cameos, sits as their second-best batter really highlights the gap between Wolvaardt and the rest. It's basically her, De Klerk, and then a steep drop-off. This is their fourth semi-final appearance in the World Cups, and the weight of history sits heavy on their shoulders as they have never qualified for a final. For England, this marks their twelfth knockout qualification in thirteen editions as they hunt a fifth title. Their journey has been near-flawless, just one defeat against five wins. But heading into the knockouts, they've been hit with a massive blow. Sophie Ecclestone is dealing with a left shoulder injury and is currently being assessed by the medical staff. Whether she'll be fit for the semi-final remains up in the air. That's a huge concern because Ecclestone has been pivotal to England's run. She's bagged 12 wickets in six matches at an economy of 3.98, sitting as the fifth highest wicket-taker in the tournament alongside teammate Linsey Smith, who has been equally impressive. Losing her would rip a hole in England's bowling plans. Unlike their opponents, England's openers have been solid, posting four fifty-plus stands and giving them platforms to build on. But it's been Heather Knight's steely presence that's really anchored the batting, emerging as their most reliable run-scorer. She's had decent backing from the likes of Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, and skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, giving England a more balanced and dependable batting lineup compared to South Africa's top-heavy reliance on Wolvaardt. In this World Cup at Guwahati, South Africa have played one and lost one, whereas England are sitting pretty with two wins from two at this ground. Historically, these two have met twice in World Cup semi-finals, and England have won both times. But when it comes down to knockout cricket, none of that really matters. One team goes through to the final, the other's tournament ends right there. Can the Proteas finally shake off their semi-final curse, or will England's dominance at this stage roll on? Guwahati is set for a belter of a semi-final.