ENG-W vs SA-W 2nd Semi-Final Commentary - London (02 July 2026)

Darted in from around the wicket, short and on middle and leg. Nadine De Klerk makes room and cuts it past point. Freya Kemp goes after it and hauls it in with a slide. Two runs taken.

Fuller and quicker, outside off. Nadine walks across the stumps and goes hard on the sweep. It goes off a top edge but lands safely in front of deep mid-wicket. They cross.

Pulls the length back, a bit of turn, on middle. Ismail whips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Bowled with more of a round-arm action, fractionally short, on middle. Nadine makes room to force it away on the off side but the ball does not rise much. Chops it down off a bottom edge towards short fine leg.

Flighted delivery, a bit fuller, on off. Nadine De Klerk has a swing at it and ends up slicing it down to long off, where the fielder does not commit herself to the catch and hangs back to collect it on the bounce. Linsey Smith is not happy one bit.

England are through to the final, where they will meet Australia. Smith drops it a bit short, on middle. Shabnim hangs back and shovels it wide of short fine leg for just a single. Hugs and smiles all around in the English camp.

Pace off now, on a nagging length. Jafta waits for an eternitty before attempting the scoop over the keeper but misses.

Sticks to the leg-cutter, on a good length, outside off. Sinalo pushes away from her body and is beaten past the outside edge.

OUT! SINALO JAFTA IS RUN OUT! Danni Wyatt-Hodge produces the direct hit and that sums up England's effort in the field. On off, on a length. Jafta dabs it with an angled bat face to backward point and is off for the run. Danni Wyatt-Hodge moves to her left, picks the ball up and has a shy at the batting end. Having been sent back, Sinalo is struggling to return and the direct hit from Danni catches her short.

Another loopy slower ball, on middle. Khaka bunts it down the strip.

FOUR! That has somehow gone to the fence. There's that surprise bouncer at pace by Bell, over the right shoulder. Khaka swings her bat ungainly. It goes off a top edge down to the deep third fence.

OUT! CASTLED! The slower ball does the trick for Lauren Bell. This is at the stumps, fuller in length. Khaka does not pick the change of pace and has a heave across the line. The ball drops on her and goes under the blade before disturbing the furniture.

FOUR! Now Nadine De Klerk gets one away. From around the wicket, speared in, on a good length. De Klerk makes room for herself and carves it over cover for a four.

Run out chance missed! Very full, on middle. Nadine drills it to cover, where Freya Kemp makes a half stop. Nadine wants to sneak in a quick single and is nearly halfway before being sent back. The ball gets lost at the feet of Kemp, who recovers and hurriedly fires in a wayward throw, well wide of the keeper. That allows De Klerk to get home.

Full and around leg. Nadine works it wide of short fine leg to her left for a quick single.

OUT! TIMBER! Chloe Tryon bites the dust now. This is slower by Sophie, on a good length, angled in at the leg stump. Tryon reaches out in front and has a heave across the line. The ball sneaks under her blade and crashes into the leg pole. South Africa Women are now 118/6, needing 52 runs from 14 balls.

Full and at the sticks. Jafta pushes it wide of extra cover for a single.

Very full, on off. Nadine smacks it hard but picks out the cover fielder.

Fired in, full and on middle. Tryon steps out and forces it down to long on for a single.

No air given, flatter and on a good length. Nadine punches it past extra cover. Nat Sciver-Brunt goes after it and hauls it in. Two runs taken.

From around the wicket now. On a length, Dean pushes it through again and tucks the batter up for room. De Klerk swings it away towards mid-wicket for a run.

FOUR! Up and over. At the sticks, on a length. The field is up on the off side and Tryon backs away before going inside out over extra cover for a boundary.

FOUR! Untidy by Linsey Smith. Dean switches to around the wicket, full and quick, on middle. Tryon makes room and powers it down to long off, where Linsey moves to her right and gets low but lets it through her legs.

On the pads, the length stays full. Tryon helps it to short fine leg. 12 runs off the over. 57 needed off 18.

Pace off, full and going across. Tryon angles the drive to backward point.

Wide not given, much to the surprise of Chloe Tryon. Down leg, on a good length. Chloe misses out on the tickle. The umpire reckons that it brushed the pads of the batter before going through to the keeper.

Drags the length back, on off and middle. Tryon dabs it to the right of point and gets to the other end.

A touch fuller, on off, Nadine De Klerk pushes it to cover-point.

Low full toss, outside off, Nadine De Klerk punches it wide of the extra cover fielder and gets a quick single. 100 up for South Africa!

Fullish, outside leg, Chloe Tryon misses her flick and thuds on the pad. The ball dribbles away toward short fine leg, where the fielder picks it up and scores a direct hit at the striker's end as the batter takes a single. However, Nadine De Klerk is already inside the crease. 

FOUR! Gets it away and that brings up a FIFTY for Tazmin Brits, her 16th in T20Is. She has it all to do with the chase slipping away here for South Africa. Flat and short, on off. Brits makes room for herself to force it away on the off side. It goes off the toe end and races past short third for a boundary.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE. Fifty and out for Tazmin Brits. Another threat has been nipped in the bud by England. Two wickets in three balls for the home side. Full and quick, on middle. Brits charges down the track and has a swipe across the line. She loses her shape and it is skewed off a leading edge to cover, where Nat Sciver-Brunt pouches it safely. Wicket number 2 for Dean.

Attacking the front pad. Tryon clips it to deep mid-wicket and takes a single.

On a nagging length, on off, Nadine De Klerk defends it back to the bowler.

Short, around middle, Nadine De Klerk goes deep into the crease and flicks it with soft hands toward the vacant square leg region to get a double. Charlie Dean sprints herself toward it and slides to cut it to one run.

Full, on off, Chloe Tryon nudges it to long on for one.

Starts with the off-pace ball, on a good length, around off. Sune makes room to open up the off side but slices it off the outer half to backward point.

Had to hurry! A bit more loop on this slower ball by Bell, fuller and on off. Luus slams it wide of extra cover and sets off for the run. Charlie Dean is quick to her right and fires in a throw on the bounce at the batting end. Amy Jones is late getting up to the stumps, and that allows Brits to get home with a dive. Tazmin was gone with a direct hit, or if Jones had gotten up to the stumps earlier.

Into the wicket, on off. Brits is early into the pull and chops it down behind on the leg side. Just a single.

Bell bends her back and offers a bouncer, just outside off. Sune Luus pulls it to the left of deep mid-wicket and gets a couple of runs.

FOUR! What a shot that is from Luus! Back of a length, outside off. Sune Luus hangs on her back foot and pulls it away to the left of deep mid-wicket for four runs. No chance for the fielder to get to it.

OUT! CAUGHT! Lauren Bell strikes right back. Bell digs it in short at pace this time, over the right shoulder. Luus gets her hands high for the pull but is rushed and ends up playing it half-heartedly. The ball gets big on her and a top edge is found. Sophie Ecclestone runs over her left shoulder at short fine leg and extends her hands to take a fine catch. South Africa lose their fourth wicket, needing 79 runs in 36 balls.

Speared in, on middle. Brits swings across but loses her shape. Gets it off the inner half to deep square leg for a single.

Nice and full, at the sticks. Luus taps it back to the bowler.

Darted in just outside the off stump. Sune walks across and plays the sweep to deep square leg for a run.

Short, just outside off, Tazmin Brits makes room and cuts at it. The backward point fielder moves to her left and stops it well.

Tossed up, fuller, on off, Tazmin Brits drives it to long off for one.

A touch fuller, around off. Sune Luus slog sweeps it to deep mid-wicket and gets a single. The Proteas need 87 more runs in 42 balls. 

Goes past the bat! Serves it on a back of a length, outside off, with the keeper up to the stumps. Luus flashes at the ball but misses.

Cross-seam ball, on the shorter side, on off. Sune dabs it to the right of backward point for a single.

Gibson spots Brits charging down the track and cleverly pulls the length back. Tazmin tries to nudge it away on the leg side but ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

FOUR! Short and punished! Gibson hits the deck hard to generate some bounce, over off. Tazmin Brits stands tall and pulls it hard toward deep mid-wicket for four runs.

Back of a length, around middle and leg, Tazmin Brits walks down the track, misses her flick on the inside edge and wears on the back thigh pad. 

FOUR BYES! Some free runs for South Africa. Fuller and wide outside off, beyond the tramline. Sune Luus shuffles across the stumps to reverse ramp it, but fails to get the connection. The ball goes past the keeper as well and races away to deep third for four runs.

FOUR! First boundary outside the Powerplay for South Africa. Flighted up, on off. Brits charges down the track and stays leg side before smacking it to the left of long off.

Full and fired in, on middle. Brits pushes it back to the bowler.

Flatter and shorter, on middle. Brits presses back and crouches to shovel it away. Gets it off the splice of the bat and it lands safely in the mid-wicket region. They cross.

OUT! CAUGHT! No rescue act from Marizanne Kapp today. England are jubilant as they have the big fish. Pushed through by Dean, full and in line with the off stump. Kapp steps out and shapes up to clip it away with a closed bat face. The ball comes on slower than she expected. The ball balloons off a leading edge to cover, where Nat Sciver-Brunt gobbles it up. South Africa Women are 68/3, chasing 170.

On a nagging length, around middle, Sune Luus defends it to short mid-wicket.

Tossed up, fuller, at the stumps. Sune Luus slog sweeps it to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

Half a shout for LBW, but it's pitching outside leg. Good length on the legs, Brits looks to work it away but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Similar line and length to the previous ball, Tazmin Brits comes forward to flick but gets an inside edge off the pads and behind square leg for a single.

Pitched fuller and at the stumps, flicked through the vacant mid-wicket region for just one more. South Africa Women need to get a move on soon enough, or else, it might be too late.

A tad fuller, on middle, Tazmin Brits punches it to long on for one.

Shaping away, well outside off, Marizanne Kapp tries to slap it away, but chops it down to cover-point. Single taken.

Spraying down the leg side, on a good length, Tazmin Brits flicks it from the toe end of the bat toward the left of the deep square leg fielder for one.

Tossed up on off, Brits advances and drills it to the left of the bowler. Sophie puts in a dive but it rockets past her, down to long off for a single.

At the stumps this time, Marizanne Kapp walks inside the line of the ball and clips it to mid on.

A few inches shorter now, on off, Kapp leans back and cuts it to the left of point, where the fielder dives across and makes a half-stop, keeping it down to a run.

Excellent work in the deep! Short of a length, just outside off. Tazmin Brits hangs back and cuts it into the gap between backward point and cover-point. Danni Wyatt-Hodge at backward point, dives to her right but fails to stop it. The ball rolls away toward deep point. Linsey Smith goes after it, dives, and flicks the ball just before it touches the boundary cushion to save a run for the team.

Full, on middle, Marizanne Kapp flicks it to deep backward square leg for one.

Full, around middle and leg, Tazmin Brits thumps it to long on and gets a single.

A leading edge now, but lands safely. Freya Kemp pitches it up on middle, and the ball holds a bit. Dercksen looks to flick it leg side but gets a leading edge, well to the left of the cover fielder and a single is taken.

Full again, a bit on the pads, clipped away past square leg for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! The angle of the left-armer does the trick here. Freya Kemp brings out the cutter, bowling it shorter and angling it across the right-hander. Annerie Dercksen is a bit adamant to go leg side and she hangs back to swing but splices it off the bat towards backward point. Heather Knight takes a few steps back and reverse-cups it with ease. South Africa Women are 49/2, chasing 170 for the win.

Good-length delivery, around the pads of the batter. Marizanne Kapp tucks it through backward square leg and gets a single to get off the mark.

Beaten! Angling across the batter, outside off. Tazmin Brits tries to punch it away, through cover, but it gets past the outside edge with a decent amount of gap.

On a nagging length, around the leg stump. Tazmin Brits flicks it to short fine leg for one.

Tossed up on middle, a hint of turn to begin with. Tazmin Brits leans on and eases it down to long on for a single.

PUT DOWN! A brilliant effort, but Charlie Dean has dropped it. Sophie Ecclestone floats the ball up on the off stump. Annerie Dercksen stays put and looks to hit it over mid off, but the elevation isn't quite there. Dean leaps up high and sticks out a left hand, but as she lands, the ball pops out of her hands as well. Single taken.

Fired in, full and straight, driven back past the bowler and down to long off for another run.

Fuller, on off, Annerie Dercksen opens her stance and punches it toward deep extra cover for one.

Half-hearted appeal for LBW, but the umpire remains unmoved. Pitches it fuller outside off, Tazmin Brits shuffles across the stumps and misses her sweep. The ball hits the back leg, before it rolls away toward short third. The impact is surely outside off.

Short, just outside off, Tazmin Brits dabs it to point.

Awkwardly done by Brits. Flatter on off, angled in. Brits tries to reverse but hits it like swinging a frying pan and down to deep third for a couple of runs.

Fractionally short, angled back into the stumps, Brits hoicks it over mid-wicket and picks up a single.

FOUR! Clean strike from Wolvaardt. A bit more floated up, Wolvaardt comes down the pitch, gets to the pitch of the ball and hammers it over mid on for a boundary.

OUT! TAKEN! What a grab and what a time to do it as well. Linsey Smith bowls it a bit more round-arm and pushes it into the batter. Laura Wolvaardt comes down the track again but gets the lofted shot off the inside half of the blade. There's not enough elevation on it and Sophie Ecclestone puts in a well-timed leap, grabbing it beautifully over her right shoulder with both hands. The Protea skipper departs, and that's got the home crowd going.

Much fuller, just outside off, Annerie Dercksen drives it to extra cover.

Another fuller delivery, around off, Annerie Dercksen strides out and pushes it to extra cover. A positive over for England. A wicket and 7 runs from it. After 6 overs, South Africa Women are 43/1.

FOUR! Wolvaardt has her dancing shoes on now. Floated up on the stumps, Wolvaardt is quick to step out and controls the lofted shot back over the bowler's head perfectly, picking up a boundary.

A bit fuller and flatter, Wolvaardt comes forward and makes a bit of room to open up the off side, but ends up hitting it straight to mid off.

Nice and full, drifted into middle and leg, worked away in front of mid-wicket for a single.

Oh, beaten on the inside edge! Short of a length, on middle. Tazmin Brits looks to flick it, but misses on the inside edge. The keeper fails to glove it as the ball rolls to deep fine leg for a couple of byes.

Flatter and a bit fuller, on off, Tazmin Brits works it across the line to long on for one.

Short, on off and middle, Laura Wolvaardt pushes it back to the bowler.

Back of a length, over middle and leg, angling in, Laura Wolvaardt gets inside the line to glance it away but misses.

Pitched up full at the stumps, driven back past the bowler and to the left of mid on for a single.

Even fuller, darted into middle and leg, clipped away behind square leg for one more.

FOUR! Top shot! Pitched full and on off, shapes back in but Laura Wolvaardt gets well forward and smacks the straight drive well to the right of Nat Sciver-Brunt at mid off for a boundary.

Bell pulls the length back a few inches and angles it in, Wolvaardt stays on the front foot and just nudges it into the leg side.

Banged in short and wide, Wolvaardt gets on her toes and hits it to deep point for a run.

FOUR! Too much width on offer. Floated up wide outside off, Tazmin Brits flashes and flashes hard, slicing it through the short third region for a boundary.

Dragged short on off, Brits waits well and punches it sweetly towards extra cover for a single. Sharp fielding from Freya Kemp as well.

Targeting the stumps now, wristed away through mid-wicket for a run.

FOUR! There to be hit and easily put away. Full and well outside off, Tazmin Brits drills the drive between point and covers and the ball races away to the fence.

Floated up full and on off, Brits looks to drive but gets an inside edge onto the pads.

Tossed up, full and on off, Brits gets forward and eases it to mid off.

Too high! Bell hits the back of a length and bowls it on middle. There's not much movement, and the ball just skids through. Brits looks to pull but misses and gets hit on the right hip, and it is a bit of a sore one as well.

Back of a length again, straighter too, Brits presses back and works it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Pitched fuller now, on off and middle, no swing again. Brits punches it out to mid off.

WIDE! Dug in halfway down the pitch, around off, Brits sways her head away from the line of the ball and it is called a wide for being too high.

WIDE! A loose ball from Bell, shortish length, angled well down the leg side.

FOUR! Tazmin Brits is very strong down the ground. Fuller one at the stumps, Brits goes after it and doesn't get all of it, but clears the in-field, and the ball dribbles away to the long on fence.

Nice and full again, angled into the pads, Brits flicks it away in front of square on the leg side for a single.

Hard length, in the channel, Wolvaardt stands tall and punches it down to short cover. South Africa Women are 11/0 after 2 overs.

Floated up outside off, drifted in, Laura Wolvaardt gets on the front foot and smacks it to covers.

 Wolvaardt and South Africa Women are off the mark. Tossed up again, fuller and on off, driven past the diving bowler and down to long off for a single.

Oh, that nearly scraped through. Linsey Smith bowls it more round-arm and darts it into middle and leg. The ball keeps low and Tazmin Brits gets pegged back, just about managing to jam it out on the on side.

Flatter one, on a good length and on off, punched away to cover.

Fuller now, tight line on off, Tazmin Brits drives it away to mid off.

Just a single to end the over, tidy start from Linsey Smith. Drags the length short, does Smith and Brits pulls it away to deep square leg for a run.