Guwahati, Oct 29 (NationPress) England's captain Nat Sciver-Brunt acknowledged that her team was outperformed in every aspect during their 125-run defeat to South Africa in the semifinal of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup held at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati this Wednesday. A remarkable innings of 169 runs from Laura Wolvaardt led to England conceding a total of 319/7 before being bowled out for 194 in just 42.3 overs.

“What an extraordinary performance from South Africa. We didn’t bring our best game today, and to succeed against top teams, you must perform at your peak. You need to execute a complete game, and we fell short in that regard. I’m incredibly disappointed. It will take some time to come to terms with this, but right now, I feel let down,” Nat expressed after the match concluded.

Despite the significant defeat, Nat felt that England remained competitive for much of the first innings. “Absolutely. During the Power-play and beyond, we maintained control and didn’t let the game slip away too much. We were content with our grip on the match, and we knew that taking a wicket at one end could help us make inroads, which we did. However, they managed to build another partnership.”

She recognized the influence of Laura’s record-setting 169 runs and her late-game acceleration that shifted the momentum away from England. “She capitalized on the best conditions, executed her game plan effectively, and took full advantage of the situation. With explosive batters coming in, it became quite challenging for us.”

“You need to put together a complete innings. We persisted as a team, didn’t allow the occasion to overwhelm us in the field, and I was impressed with everyone’s energy throughout those 50 overs.

England's pursuit was hindered early on by Marizanne Kapp's fiery opening spell, as she ultimately took 5-20. Nat, who was the top scorer with 64, admitted that the early collapse made the chase an uphill task. “Certainly, Kappy bowled some exceptional deliveries. Our aim was to replicate their strong start with the bat, but it wasn’t as simple as going out there and trying to bat like Wolvaardt did.”

“Losing three quick wickets is far from ideal, making the chase difficult right from the get-go. However, the way Capsey and I built a partnership kept us roughly aligned with where the South Africans were in their innings, but we needed to sustain that for a longer period.”

Looking back on England’s overall journey, especially with the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup on the horizon, Nat remains hopeful for future challenges. “We have made considerable progress since the summer. We are a different team now, and we have learned a great deal.”

“This loss stings, but hopefully, with time, we can extract valuable lessons from it and move forward because we have achieved significant milestones in a relatively short period. The potential for growth is exciting. To compete with the best teams, you must be at your best, and we aim to return stronger next time.”

–IANS