Clinical England reach second successive World Cup final

South Africa Women paid the price for their sloppy day on the field with a World Cup final berth at stake as their generous reprieves to Danni Wyatt enabled the opener to a majestic 129 and defending champions England to the title clash after a massive 137-run victory in Christchurch, well set up by Sophie Ecclestone's career-best 6 for 36.

In a rematch of the 2017 semifinal, South Africa put England in at the overcast and windy Hagley Oval and even picked up three early wickets making use of those conditions. But they also dropped Wyatt thrice en route her maiden World Cup century, and twice after. She rode her luck and propelled England to a daunting 293/8, setting South Africa their highest ever ODI chase to earn their maiden final appearance. Anya Shrubsole's two early strikes in back to back overs upfront, including the prized wicket of tournament top-scorer and World No. 1 Laura Wolvaardt on the second ball, forced South Africa into submission as Ecclestone ran through the lower-order with her maiden ODI fifer to keep them to just 156 in reply.

Dropped on 22 and 36 off Masabata Klaas, Wyatt was the only bright spot in England's first fifty that came off 12 overs after losing Tammy Beaumont to a Marizanne Kapp outswinger in the fourth over. Kapp, in turn, was the most economical for South Africa, giving away just six runs in her opening spell of four overs. Heather Knight played out a dozen dots on the trot after having opened her account of the sixth ball, and fell LBW for an uncharacteristic 1 off 19 when South Africa's reluctant gamble with the DRS paid off for Ayabonga Khaka. Nat Sciver also kept busy in her brief stay but fell to Shabnim Ismail after miscuing a pull when on 15. Wyatt, therefore, had 51 off England's 82/3.

Together with Amy Jones, Wyatt added 49 runs for the fourth-wicket stand that arrested the early slip at a fairly decent clip. With the opener going at a strike-rate consistently in the 90s, England had recovered well to post 121/3 at the halfway stage as the conditions eased up. Against the run of play, though, Chloe Tryon's fantastic dive at midwicket cut short Jones's stay after a 32-ball 28, leaving Sophia Dunkley in a similar situation to rebuild as England's last league game. The young allrounder rose to the occasion yet again, and combined with Wyatt to transfer the pressure back on South Africa with their 116-run partnership.

Wyatt, who took 56 balls to her fifty, converted it into her second ODI hundred in just another 32, in the 37th over just before England breached the 200-run mark. She got two lives again in the space of three balls when Khaka returned to the attack at death before ultimately falling for a 125-ball 129 with Klaas finally opening her account late in the day. Dunkley, who had earlier raised the 100 of their partnership, raised her second successive fifty off 62 deliveries. Klaas struck again but Ecclestone played a handy cameo of 24 off 11, inclusive of five boundaries, to stretch the score to a commanding 293/8.

Shrubsole rammed home England's advantage when she caught Wolvaardt off her own bowling two games into the contest, and then had the dangerous Lizelle Lee flick a sharp inswinger to midwicket after a laboured 2 off 15. Lara Goodall promised a brief resurgence with three boundaries in seven balls punishing the short ones from Brunt, while Luus's two took South Africa to a respectable 37/2 from their powerplay. But it was short-lived as Kate Cross rattled the South African captain's stumps off her fifth ball of the contest. Having fallen behind the eight ball, South Africa crawled their way to 67 when Charlie Dean knocked over Goodall's stumps.

Ecclestone entered the scene soon after, with South Africa on 86/4 after 23 overs, and claimed all the remaining wickets to celebrate her World no.1 ranking she achieved soon after England's qualification to the semis. The left-arm spinner struck in her second over, beating Kapp's outside edge with a generously flighted delivery. Ecclestone cost England a review on Tryon LBW appeal but had the South African vice-captain caught at midwicket off the very next ball to leave them reeling at 101 for 6 after 28 overs.

Mignon du Preez's downfall was almost predictable with her shuffling across the stumps more often than not. Ecclestone managed to strike the middle-stump with a straighter one when du Preez missed a paddle, on 30. A finger on the lip celebration followed Ismail's dismissal, in a callback to the send-off she received from the South African speedster earlier in the day. Klass slogged across the line and top-edged to Beaumont to give Ecclestone her first-ever five-wicket haul in ODI cricket. For the icing on the cake, the spinner had Chetty stumped three balls later to wrap up the formalities and put England in their sixth World Cup finale where they'll defend their title against pre-tournament favourites Australia, on Sunday.

Brief scores: England Women 293/8 in 50 overs (Danni Wyatt 129,Sophia Dunkley 60; Shabnim Ismail 3-46) beat South Africa Women 156 all out in 38 overs (Mignon du Preez 30; Sophie Ecclestone 6-36, Anya Shrubsole 2-27) by 137 runs