Indore/Patiala, 25 October (Sports Desk)
Match Details:
- Date: October 25, 2025
- Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
- Series: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (League Stage)
- Toss: Australia won the toss and elected to field first
- Result: Australia won by 7 wickets (with 199 balls remaining)
- Player of the Match: Alana King (Australia) – 7/18 (7 overs, 2 maidens) for her record-breaking spell that dismantled South Africa and etched her name in World Cup history
- Match Status: Australia finish unbeaten at the top of the points table (7 wins from 7); will face India in the semi-final. South Africa (5 wins from 7) face England in the other semi.
- Attendance: 22,450 (vibrant crowd under partly cloudy skies, with light drizzle aiding spin)
In a one-sided affair, Australia crushed South Africa by 7 wickets to cap their unbeaten league campaign. Leg-spinner Alana King’s historic 7/18—the best figures in Women’s World Cup history and by an Australian in women’s ODIs—ripped through the Proteas, bowling them out for a paltry 97 in just 24 overs. Despite an early wobble (11/2), Australia romped home in 17 overs, led by Beth Mooney’s composed 42 and Georgia Voll’s unbeaten 38. King’s wizardry not only secured the win but also propelled Australia into the semi-finals with momentum, while exposing South Africa’s spin frailties.
watch…Rohit Sharma: The Star of India’s Triumph Against Australia
South Africa Innings: 97 all out in 24 overs (4.04 RPO)
South Africa started steadily with openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits adding 32, but Australia’s spinners triggered a catastrophic collapse from 32/0 to 97 all out. King, introduced post-powerplay, claimed a dream 7/18—including a five-wicket burst that wiped out the middle order. Wolvaardt’s 31 was the only score of note; Sinalo Jafta’s gritty 29 (off 17 balls, with 7 fours) offered brief resistance, but the lower order crumbled on a turning pitch. Australia’s fielding was sharp, with key catches sealing the rout.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Wolvaardt (c) | c Perry b Schutt | 31 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 119.23 |
| Tazmin Brits | b Garth | 12 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Sune Luus | b King | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Annerie Dercksen | b King | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Marizanne Kapp | c Litchfield b King | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Sinalo Jafta (wk) | c McGrath b King | 29 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 170.59 |
| Chloe Tryon | c Voll b King | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 45.45 |
| Nadine de Klerk | b King | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Masabata Klaas | b Gardner | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Ayabonga Khaka | run out (Mooney/Sutherland) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nonkululeko Mlaba | not out | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 37.50 |
| Extras | (lb 5, w 4, nb 0) | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | all out, 24 overs | 97 | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-32 (Wolvaardt, 7.3 ov), 2-42 (Luus, 10.1 ov), 3-42 (Dercksen, 10.4 ov), 4-47 (Kapp, 12.3 ov), 5-65 (Brits, 15.2 ov), 6-78 (Tryon, 18.1 ov), 7-81 (de Klerk, 19.1 ov), 8-88 (Jafta, 20.3 ov), 9-88 (Klaas, 20.5 ov), 10-97 (Khaka, 23.6 ov).
Bowling (Australia):
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Megan Schutt | 5 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 4.20 |
| Kim Garth | 4 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 5.25 |
| Alana King | 7 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 2.57 |
| Ashleigh Gardner | 5 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 3.80 |
| Georgia Wareham | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 4.67 |
Australia Innings: 98/3 in 17 overs (5.76 RPO) – Target: 98
Australia lost early wickets—Phoebe Litchfield (2) and Ellyse Perry (0) to the seamers—slumping to 11/2. But Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll steadied with a 57-run stand, Mooney anchoring with fluent drives before falling to Kapp. Voll (38*) and Annabel Sutherland (10*) then accelerated to victory, Sutherland hitting the winning boundary. South Africa’s bowlers toiled without much bite on a pitch favoring spin, conceding boundaries freely in the middle overs.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Voll | not out | 38 | 52 | 5 | 0 | 73.08 |
| Phoebe Litchfield | c Wolvaardt b Klaas | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Ellyse Perry | lbw b de Klerk | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Beth Mooney (wk) | c Jafta b Kapp | 42 | 40 | 6 | 1 | 105.00 |
| Annabel Sutherland | not out | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tahlia McGrath (c) | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ashleigh Gardner | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Georgia Wareham | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Alana King | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kim Garth | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Megan Schutt | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 5, nb 0) | 6 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 3 wkts, 17 overs | 98 | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 1-7 (Litchfield, 2.4 ov), 2-11 (Perry, 5.2 ov), 3-68 (Mooney, 14.3 ov).
Bowling (South Africa):
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayabonga Khaka | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Masabata Klaas | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Nadine de Klerk | 3 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Marizanne Kapp | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Nonkululeko Mlaba | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Chloe Tryon | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 |
Key Highlights and Turning Points
- King’s Historic Haul: Alana King’s 7/18 (7 overs, 2 maidens) is the best in Women’s World Cup history (surpassing Jackie Lord’s 6/10 in 1982) and Australian women’s ODIs (beating Ellyse Perry’s 7/22). She took 5/8 in her first spell post-powerplay, dismissing Luus, Dercksen, Kapp, Jafta, and Tryon. King’s variations—googlies and wrong’uns—exploited the turning pitch, leaving batters bamboozled. Her 13 wickets in the tournament underline her X-factor status.
- South Africa’s Collapse: From 32/0, SA lost 10/65 in 16.3 overs—their second sub-100 total in the tournament (after 69 vs England). Wolvaardt’s 31 was top-scored, but Jafta’s 29 (7×4) was a lone fightback. Australia’s seamers (Schutt 1/21, Garth 1/21) set the trap before spin dominated.
- Australia’s Steady Chase: Early jolts (Litchfield lbw to Klaas, Perry to de Klerk) reduced AUS to 11/2, but Mooney (42, 6×4, 1×6) and Voll (38*, 5×4) added 57 to steady nerves. Sutherland’s boundary off Mlaba sealed it in the 18th over. Kapp (1/11) was SA’s best, but extras and loose lines aided AUS.
- Pitch and Conditions: The Indore pitch turned sharply post-drizzle, favoring spinners (King’s economy: 2.57). Temperatures around 28°C with overcast skies; no major interruptions. Crowd erupted for King’s milestones.
- Post-Match Quotes: King: “Every ball felt like a wicket… conditions skidded like vs England.” McGrath: “Kingy’s an X-factor; special performance.”
Australia’s dominance (unbeaten in league) sets up a blockbuster semi vs India. For SA, the loss highlights spin woes, but their resilience vs England offers hope. King’s haul (25 wickets in 12 ODIs this year) cements her as a global force.
