Wolvaardt shines but India crush Proteas' World Cup hopes

LAURA Wolvaardt carried her team on her shoulders, dragged them to the finish line, but ultimately could not single-handedly lead the Proteas Women to the promised land of a first-ever ICC Women's World Cup title in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS

Instead, that honour belongs to India, who on their third attempt after previous disappointments in 2005 and 2017, fulfilled the dreams and desires of a nation when captain Harmanpreet Kaur claimed the catch that clinched their maiden ICC Women's World Cup trophy.

It was a final the competition deserved, with the DY Patil Stadium decked in blue and the tricolours of India's national flag. Not even the weather, which threatened to push the match into a reserve day, could spoil the festivities, with play getting underway 90 minutes after the scheduled start.

Wolvaardt struck a brilliant 101 - the first woman cricketer to score a century in both a semifinal and final of a World Cup but she did not have sufficient support as the Proteas failed in their bid to chase down a record total in a grand final. Her dismissal, courtesy of an excellent juggled catch by Amanjot Kaur on the boundary with the Proteas still needing 78 off 58 balls, swung the momentum firmly towards India.