England beat South Africa to set up T20 World Cup final against Australia
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 75 and Heather Knight’s 58 dragged England from 23-3 to a 40-run semi-final win, sending them to Lord’s to face Australia.
England reached the Women’s T20 World Cup final with a 40-run win over South Africa at The Oval, posting 169-5 before restricting Laura Wolvaardt’s side to 129-8. The victory sent England into Sunday’s final against Australia at Lord’s and left them one match from their first major trophy since the 2017 Women’s World Cup.
Nat Sciver-Brunt led the recovery with 75 from 47 balls after returning from a calf injury that had threatened her tournament, while Heather Knight made 58 from 47 balls. England were 23-3 in the fourth over before Sciver-Brunt and Knight steadied the innings with a 133-run partnership for the fourth wicket, the highest ever in a World Cup knockout match. Their stand turned a dangerous start into a total that South Africa never came close to chasing.
England’s bowlers then shared the wickets as South Africa were held to 129-8 in their 20 overs. Sophie Ecclestone also stood out in the field as England backed up the batting recovery with sharp, disciplined work in support of the attack. South Africa had already lost to Australia in the group stage, and England arrived unbeaten in the tournament, carrying form that has held through the knockout round.
The result carried extra weight because England had lost their previous two World Cup semi-finals against South Africa. This time, the response was controlled rather than frantic, with Sciver-Brunt and Knight repairing the innings and England’s fielding and bowling squeezing South Africa out of the contest. It was the kind of performance that made the final against Australia look like a meeting of two teams peaking at the right time, not a one-off upset.
Charlotte Edwards, who was appointed England Women head coach on 1 April 2025 after representing England more than 300 times as a player, has already overseen a side that looks more settled in pressure matches. Against South Africa, England showed the balance Edwards has been trying to build, with top-order resilience, run-saving fielding and a bowling unit that protected a modest total.
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