England secured their place in the Women’s World Cup final after a powerful century by Danni Wyattt and an inspired new-ball spell from Katherine Brunt before Sophie Ecclestone blew South Africa away with six wickets at the Hagley Oval.
The 137-run victory completed England’s tournament turnaround after the defending champions lost their opening three matches and Heather Knight’s side can now look forward to a rematch against arch-rivals Australia in Sunday’s showpiece match.
The two teams opened the eight-team jamboree a month ago.
For South Africa, it is the culmination of a dream that started five years ago after defeat to the same team at the identical stage in Bristol.
Only difference back then was that it was an epic slugfest with two heavyweight contenders going the distance.
In Christchurch, the Proteas may well have thrown in the white towel early on already when Shrubsole removed South Africa’s star opening pair of Laura Wolfvaardt and Lizelle Lee after just four overs of the run chase.
The law of averages caught up with Wolvaardt, who has been South Africa’s outstanding performer at this World Cup and newly-crowned No 1 ODI batter, when she chipped the ball straight back at Shrubsole to be dismissed for a duck.
Shrubsole (2/27) then maintained her stranglehold over Lee when the right-hander bunted an in-swinger to short mid-wicket to complete a miserable World Cup for the current ICC ODI Player of the Year. Lee managed 81 runs in seven innings at an average of 11.57.
South Africa’s mountain was just too steep to scale after that double setback, despite a couple of contributions from Lara Goodall (29), Sune Luus (22) Mignon du Preez (30) and Marizanne Kapp (21) down the order.
Neither could though produce the type of innings that was required on
night.
They simply had no answer to the brilliance of World No 1 ODI bowler Sophie Ecclestone, who ran through the Proteas middle-order with the tournament’s best figures of 6/36.
The defeat had, however, been orchestrated earlier in the day already though through a ramshackle performance in the field by the South Africans.
The Proteas dropped six catches altogether with centurion Wyatt the premier beneficiary of five reprieves.
The England opener survived chances on 22, 36, 77, 116 and 117 en route to her 125-ball 129.
South Africa also dropped Sophia Dunkley, who struck 60 as part of a 116-run fourth-wicket stand with Wyatt, as the pair set up England’s impressive 294/8.
The Proteas managed just a paltry156 all out in response with Du Preez top-scoring with 30.
SOUTH AFRICA: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus (capt), Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Trisha Chetty (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka
ENGLAND: Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Heather Knight (capt), Natalie Sciver, Amy Jones (wk), Sophia Dunkley, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Charlotte Dean, Anya Shrubsole