South Africa produced an all-round display to continue its unbeaten run in the tournament, beating defending champion England by three wickets to register a hat-trick of wins in the ongoing ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2022 here on Monday.
South Africa first rode on Marizanne Kapp's (five for 45), her best ODI bowling figures, to restrict four-time champion England to 235 for nine and then Laura Wolvaardt (77 off 101 balls) held the innings together as it overcame a late scare to chase down the target with four balls to spare.
South Africa skipper Sune Luus (36), Kapp (32) and Tazmin Brits (23) also provided useful support with the bat.
Wolvaardt decorated her innings with eight boundaries.
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After her brilliant show with the ball, Kapp played a good hand with the bat and almost took South Africa past the finishing line with her 42-ball knock during which she struck three boundaries and one six.
Kapp fell just 10 runs short of the target, LBW to Anya Shrubsole (two for 34). The wicket gave England a glimmer of hope but it was not to be as Trisha Chetty (11 not out) and Shabnim Ismail (5 not out) took South Africa home.
The win helped South Africa jump to the second spot in the eight-team standings with maximum six points from three games, ahead of India but below Australia on net run rate.
England, on the other hand, suffered its third straight loss and is yet to open its account in the points table.
This is South Africa's first World Cup win against England since 2000, while it's the first time that a defending champion of a World Cup (men/women or ODI/T20I) lost its first three matches.
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Earlier, opener Tammy Beaumont (62) and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones (53) struck patient half-centuries to help England post 235 for nine after being asked to bat.
Beaumont and Jones shared 107 crucial runs for the fourth wicket to rescue England after it lost three quick wickets at the start to be reduced to 42 for three in the 12th over.
Kapp was the wrecker-in-chief for South Africa with her maiden five-wicket haul, while Masabata Klaas also chipped in with two wickets.
While Beaumont's runs came off 97 balls and with the help of six boundaries, Jones laced her 74-ball knock with five hits to the fence.
After their dismissals, Sophia Dunkley (26), Katherine Brunt (17) and Sophie Ecclestone (15 not out) played good hands to take England to a decent total.
After her early onslaught, Kapp once again did the damage at the rear end of the England innings with three more vital wickets to help South Africa restrict its rival well under the 250-mark.
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