At just 26, South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt stood on the threshold of yet another milestone that underlines her stature as one of the modern greats of women’s cricket.
Heading into the high-stakes Semi-final, only 48 runs separated her from becoming the first South African woman to reach 5,000 ODI runs. Wolvaardt’s consistent excellence has defined the heartbeat of the Proteas batting for nearly a decade.
She got there in style, leading from the front, after South Africa lost the toss and were inserted to bat first by England’s skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati.
The South African skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, looked in the zone, right from the word go. She not only registered her maiden century in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, but she also went on to deliver a knock for the ages, a legacy and a history-defining knock. She took the English bowlers all over the park, en route to her marathon innings of 169 (143 balls). Her knock included 20 boundaries and 4 maximums.
She also became the first captain to score a century in a knockout game in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. She also now has the highest individual score by a South African in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. South Africa posted a total of 319/7 in their quota of 50 overs.
Currently the leading run-scorer for South Africa in ODIs, she has amassed 5,121 runs at a strike rate of 73.89 and an average of 50.20 in 117 innings since her debut in 2016, including 10 centuries and 38 half-centuries. Leading her side into the high-pressure semi-final against England at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on October 29, the stage couldn’t have been grander for her to etch her name into South Africa’s cricketing folklore. She also became the 2nd fastest after the Indian vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, to enter the 5,000 runs club in the ODI format.
The 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, hosted in India and Sri Lanka, has tested teams with its mix of pace-friendly surfaces and tactical depth. South Africa, after a rocky start with a 10-wicket loss to England in their campaign opener on October 3 in Guwahati, has bounced back in remarkable fashion. Under Wolvaardt’s composed leadership, the Proteas pieced together their record five-match winning streak that showcased their resilience and balance.
They defeated New Zealand by 6 wickets at Indore on October 6, edged past India by 3 wickets at Visakhapatnam on October 9, and repeated the margin against Bangladesh at the same venue on October 13. In Colombo, they overwhelmed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a rain-curtailed match on October 17 and followed it up with a commanding 150-run win over Pakistan on October 21, a game in which Wolvaardt contributed 90 off 82 balls, surpassing 1,000 career ODI World Cup runs, another first for a South African woman.
Although their momentum was halted by Australia in the final league fixture, where they were bundled out for 97 at Indore on October 25, South Africa finished third on the points table with 10 points from seven games, earning a semi-final spot against the same English side that had humbled them early in the tournament.
Representing South Africa in her third ICC Women’s ODI World Cup and her first as captain, Wolvaardt’s journey has come full circle since her debut World Cup match on June 25, 2017, against Pakistan at Leicester, where she scored a composed 52 off 87 balls. From that promising start, she has evolved into one of the most technically assured and mentally tough openers in world cricket.
Across her 23 innings in World Cup history, she has piled up 1,227 runs at a strike rate of 81.15 and an average of 61.35, including 12 half-centuries and a century. Her highest score (before the ongoing fixture against England) of 90 was reached twice, first against Australia in Wellington in the 2022 edition, and then matching it against Pakistan this year in Colombo. She bettered that with her maiden World Cup ton (169 off 143 balls), and what a time to do so, leading by example in the semi-final against England. South Africa registered an imposing total in excess of 300 (319/7) in their quota of overs.
Her performances in the ongoing edition have been pillars of South Africa’s success: topping the tournament’s run-scoring charts with 470 runs at a strike rate of 97.91 and an average of 67.14, featuring three half-centuries, and a century.
For Wolvaardt, the 2025 World Cup represents more than statistical achievements; it marks the culmination of a leadership transition that sees her guiding a rejuvenated Proteas unit with composed authority and tactical sharpness. Her serenity at the crease and clarity in decision-making have inspired a side that continues to punch above its weight under her stewardship.
Wolvaardt’s journey from a teenage prodigy making her ODI debut against England at Benoni on February 7, 2016, to a global batting mainstay has been paved with extraordinary consistency. Her career-best unbeaten 184 off 147 balls against Sri Lanka at Potchefstroom on April 17, 2024, remains a benchmark innings, an aesthetic blend of timing, shot selection, and concentration. Despite South Africa losing that contest, her dominance in the series earned her the Player of the Series award for scoring 335 runs in three matches, reinforcing her reputation as the ultimate anchor in the one-day format.
As she leads her nation into the semi-final clash against Nat Sciver-Brunt’s England, Wolvaardt’s 5,000-run milestone is more than a personal landmark; it symbolises the evolution of South African women’s cricket. Every run she scores continues to expand the legacy of a cricketer who has not only mastered her craft but also carried her team along with quiet strength and unyielding grace.
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