England Women vs South Africa Women, 1st Semi-Final

The 1st Semi-Final clash between England Women and South Africa Women at the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 promises to be an intense battle at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. England Women have displayed consistent form in the tournament, boasting an aggressive batting lineup combined with a disciplined bowling attack. They have won 7 of their last 10 ODIs and have key players like Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone delivering match-winning performances. South Africa Women, on the other hand, arrive with momentum, having won 6 of their last 10 matches. Their strength lies in a balanced unit featuring power hitters like Laura Wolvaardt and crafty bowlers like Dane van Niekerk. Historically, England holds a slight edge over South Africa in Women's ODIs, but recent encounters have been competitive with matches often coming down to the wire. Strategically, England is expected to focus on setting or restricting targets with tight line and length bowling, especially utilizing swing conditions in early overs. South Africa may aim to accelerate scoring during the middle overs and rely on disciplined death bowling. The pressure of a semi-final could influence decision-making, but both teams have experienced captains adept at adapting strategies mid-game. The winning probability slightly favors England due to their consistency and home conditions advantage but South Africa's opportunistic style makes this contest finely poised.

AI Suggested Match Winner England Women: 56%, South Africa Women: 44%

If England Women bat first, a total around 260-275 runs is expected given the balanced pitch and their strong batting order. England’s top and middle order have shown the capability to build innings steadily on this surface. Conversely, if South Africa Women bat first, a target of 250-265 seems achievable considering their aggressive stroke play and ability to exploit powerplay overs efficiently. The pitch at Barsapara is known to offer some assistance to spinners later, so teams batting second might need to accelerate wisely in the middle overs to capitalize on conditions.

Barsapara Cricket Stadium features a balanced pitch with an even contest between bat and ball. Historically, the average first-innings score in women's ODIs here is approximately 255. The surface tends to offer some early seam movement and slows down slightly after 30 overs, favoring spinners. The chasing record is modest; teams batting second have won approximately 48% of the games, indicating slight advantage for batting first. Weather on match day is forecasted to be clear with mild temperatures around 26°C and little chance of rain, promising uninterrupted play. Best batsman at this ground among the two teams is Nat Sciver-Brunt with a high score of 98* and consistent 40+ scores. The best bowler is Sophie Ecclestone with 9 wickets at an average of 18.5. South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk holds the ground record best bowling figures of 4/28 here.

Matches Played	England Women Wins	South Africa Women Wins
22	12	10

Team Recent Performance

Team	Match 1	Match 2	Match 3	Match 4	Match 5
England Women	W	W	L	W	W
South Africa Women	L	W	W	L	W

Nat Sciver-Brunt: England's dynamic all-rounder has been consistent, scoring crucial runs and breaking partnerships with her bowling, showcasing form that could be decisive.

Sophie Ecclestone: England's premier spinner, Ecclestone has performed well on the slow pitches, picking wickets in the middle overs and restricting scoring.

Sarah Glenn: Emerging young spinner for England, effective at controlling tight spells and equipped with excellent variations.

Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa's top-order batsman known for her elegant stroke play; she recently scored back-to-back half-centuries, anchoring innings well.

Dane van Niekerk: The South African captain and all-rounder has contributed valuable runs and wickets, with notable performances on spinning tracks.

Shabnim Ismail: Leading pace bowler for South Africa, her sharp yorkers and pace in death overs have troubled many batting lineups recently.