SA women looking to clear semis hurdle at WC

Bengaluru: Taking lessons from the past, South Africa enter this month's women's ODI World Cup with renewed confidence that they can stand toe-to-toe with the top teams and finally break through to their maiden final, says skipper Laura Wolvaardt.

The Proteas have been one of the most consistent sides in recent ICC tournaments, reaching the semi-finals in the last two editions of the ODI World Cup and finishing runners-up in consecutive T20 World Cups.

They enter the marquee tournament on the back of a 2-1 away series win in Pakistan.

"We've had good preparation for this tournament and learned a lot of lessons from past ICC events. In the last few ODI World Cups, we made the semi-finals," Wolvaardt said.

"I remember being part of that first semi-final loss in 2017 – it really hurt the group, but it helped us see that we could compete with the best sides in the world and qualifying for a final one day is more a question of "when" and not "if" it would ever happen.

"The belief is very strong in our side going into this tournament. We'd like to keep that momentum going, and we'll have to play very good cricket in tough conditions," she added.

South Africa's firepower lies in their explosive top order, spearheaded by Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, while Marizanne Kapp continues to be the heartbeat of the all-round department. Complementing Kapp are Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon, alongside the youngster Nadine de Klerk. agencies