India wins Women’s Cricket World Cup for first time with 52-run victory over South Africa

NAVI MUMBAI, India (AP) – Led by brilliant all-round performances from Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma, India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Sunday.

Opening batter Verma scored a career-best 87 off 78 balls as the tournament co-host reached 298-7 in 50 overs after losing the toss and batting first at the DY Patil Stadium.

South Africa was out for 246 in 45.3 overs in reply with its chase effectively over after skipper Laura Wolvaardt was out for 101 runs in 98 balls. Spinner Sharma took the final wicket of the match and finished with bowling figures of 5-39 from 9.3 overs.

It was India’s third final after 2005 and 2017.

Both sides were unchanged from the semifinals when India beat defending champions and seven-time winners Australia by five wickets and South Africa beat four-time champions England by 125 runs.

The Proteas were first-time finalists.

Verma – who was drafted in last week for the injured Pratika Rawal – also took 2-36 with the ball.

Before claiming a five-for, Sharma (58) scored her third half-century of the tournament as India reached the second highest total in a World Cup final after Australia’s 356-5 against England in 2022.

Wolvaardt scored a fine century on the back of her semifinal heroics against England.

For India, it was the culmination of a successful home campaign as the Women in Blue lifted their first major international trophy.

The Women’s Cricket World Cup also saw a new winner for the first time in 25 years.

Chasing a record 299, South Africa made a sedate start under immense pressure from medium pacer Renuka Singh.

Wolvaardt stood firm with Tazmin Brits and they added 51 for the first wicket, before a direct throw from Amanjot Kaur ran out Brits for 23 halfway through the 10th over.

Left-arm spinner Shree Charani then bowled Anneke Bosche for a six-ball duck.

Wolvaardt reached another fine 50 off 45 balls. She added 52 off 51 with Sune Luus, who scored 25 off 31 balls.

India lost its review in desperation to get Wolvaardt dismissed, and then gambled with Verma’s gentle off-breakers.

The ploy worked with another double blow – Verma picked up two wickets in six deliveries to peg South Africa to 123-4 in 22.1 overs. She sent back Luus with an easy return catch, and then Marizanne Kapp was out caught behind for four.

Wolvaardt tried to keep the chase alive through partnerships with Sinalo Jafta (16) and Annerie Dercksen, who scored 35 off 37 balls. In doing so, the skipper reached 100 off 96 balls.

Sharma bowled Dercksen and a fatal blow came when Wolvaardt was caught by Kaur in the 42nd over, also off Sharma, to leave South Africa at 220-7.

Sharma went on to claim her fourth five-wicket haul.

Verma played a key role in setting the Proteas a challenging target. England hold the record chase in tournament final history – it scored 167-6 against New Zealand in 2009.

This was after the start of the final was delayed by two hours with no overs lost.

Verma led India’s innings as she hit seven fours and two sixes. She put on 104 for the first wicket with Smriti Mandhana (45).

Chloe Tryon got the breakthrough with Mandhana caught in the 18th over. Verma then added 62 more runs with Jemimah Rodrigues.

Medium pacer Ayabonga Khaka dismissed Verma 13 short of a century, and semifinal star Rodrigues was out caught for 24. India was down to 171-3 in 29.4 overs.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur tried to restore the momentum but was bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba in the 39th over. She scored only 20 runs, but shared a vital 52 runs off 56 balls with Sharma.

India was not able to get away – Nadine de Klerk then sent back Kaur (12) with a one-handed return catch.

Sharma steadied the innings with a run-a-ball 58, including three fours and a six. It was a third half-century for Sharma in the tournament, and she put on 47 with Richa Ghosh for the sixth wicket.

Ghosh hit three fours and two sixes as India scored 69 runs in the last 10 overs. Khaka finished with 3-58 in nine overs.