Australia beat South Africa by 7 wickets in match number 26 of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025
The semi-final matchups for the World Cup have been confirmed
England will face South Africa while Australia will take on India in the semis
Holders Australia wrapped up their ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 group stage campaign with a commanding seven-wicket win over South Africa in Indore on Saturday, confirming their place at the top of the standings.
Opting to bowl first, Australia dismissed South Africa for just 97 runs in 24 overs. Leg-spinner Alana King delivered a record-breaking performance, claiming seven wickets for 18 runs -- the best figures in Women's World Cup history.
South Africa made a promising start with captain Laura Wolvaardt hitting a brisk 31, but the innings quickly unravelled once Alana King was introduced. Chasing a modest target, Australia reached 98/3 in just 16.5 overs.
Despite a couple of early setbacks, Georgia Voll anchored the chase with an unbeaten 38, while Beth Mooney's aggressive 42 and Annabel Sutherland's steady presence helped seal a comfortable victory for the seven-time champions.
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 Semi-Finals Confirmed
Australia had enjoyed a dominant campaign so far, winning six of their seven matches and remaining unbeaten, with one washout against Sri Lanka. Their 13 points are unassailable.
South Africa, despite the loss to Australia, secured second place with a strong showing across the group stage. The Proteas, who reached the semi-finals in 2000, 2017, and 2022, are still chasing their first final appearance. They will meet England in the first semi-final in Guwahati on October 29.
England, currently third with a game in hand, have already done enough to qualify. The 2017 champions and four-time World Cup winners have been consistent throughout the tournament, with their only loss coming against Australia.
India, the host nation, clinched the final semi-final spot after a convincing win over New Zealand in their penultimate group stage match. With one match remaining against Bangladesh, India are locked into fourth place with six points.
Their campaign has been marked by inconsistency. Yet they managed to impress with strong batting performances, with both openers Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, scoring centuries in their latest outing.
Their best World Cup finishes came in 2005 and 2017, when they ended as runners-up. They now face the formidable task against Australia on October 30, in a repeat of their 2017 semi-final clash, a match India won by 36 runs. In the group stage meeting, India failed to defend 330 and lost by three wickets.
