Summary

  • England reach World Cup final - will play Australia on Sunday in Christchurch (02:00 BST)

  • Ecclestone (6-36) takes first international five-wicket haul

  • Shrubsole takes two wickets with new ball

  • England post 293-8 after being asked to bat first

  • Wyatt - dropped five times - makes 129 off 125 balls

  • Opener shares stand of 116 with Dunkley (60) for fifth wicket

  1. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 08:25 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Klaas c Beaumont b Ecclestone 3 (SA 152-9)

    A maiden international five-for for Sophie Ecclestone! And thoroughly deserved!

    Klaas tries to swing the ball over the leg-side but instead sends a leading edge into the off-side where Tammy Beaumont takes a simple catch at backward point.

    Ecclestone enjoyed that!

  2. Postpublished at 08:24 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Alex Hartley
    England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    England are well on top, you can tell from all the smiles out there.

    It's been a great tournament but the semi-finals have probably been the worst two games!

  3. SA 152-8published at 37 overs

    Klaas 3, Chetty 17

    That is Charlie Dean done for the day, she finishes with 1-41 from her 10 overs. Another good day for her.

  4. Postpublished at 08:21 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Alex Hartley
    England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    EcclestoneImage source, Getty Images

    Ecclestone has been fantastic - easily Player of the Tournament for me. How has she never had an international five-for?

  5. SA 148-8published at 36 overs

    Target 294

    Ecclestone quite believe she hasn't found the edge with two rippers to end the over. Far too good for Masabata Klaas, in at number 10 for South Africa.

  6. Postpublished at 08:20 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport's chief cricket writer

    Ecclestone is nudging very close to becoming Player of the Tournament.

  7. Postpublished at 08:19 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Henry Moeran
    BBC Test Match Special

    Sophie Ecclestone wins the battle and England take another step closer.

  8. wicket

    WICKETpublished at 08:18 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Ismail c Dean b Ecclestone 12 (SA 148-8)

    Make that four for Sophie Ecclestone. Shabnim Ismail advances once more, tries to hit over the top but didn't time it at all and Charlie Dean takes the tumbling catch at mid-off.

    One more for the five-for, two more to seal the win.

  9. SA 143-7published at 35 overs

    Target 294

    Ismail helps herself to four more after a misfield at cover - another powerful stroke but it should have been stopped.

    Very nearly a caught and bowled for Dean next ball, a leading edge looping up but it's just out of reach of the bowler as she dives forward. And now a missed stumping! Ismail down the pitch again, misses but there is something on it that deceives Amy Jones and ball runs away for four leg byes.

  10. Postpublished at 08:14 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport's chief cricket writer

    An England-Australia final is probably what this tournament deserves.

  11. SA 135-7published at 34 overs

    The game might be up but if there is one person who refuses to believe this is over, it would probably be Shabnim Ismail! She comes skipping down to Ecclestone and thumps the ball through the covers for four.

    On we go.

  12. Postpublished at 08:11 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Sophie Ecclestone will continue. She has three wickets to her name in this semi-final, the first of them a beauty to bowl Marizanne Kapp...

  13. Postpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Alex Hartley
    England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    How different might this game look had South Africa held on to those chances off Danni Wyatt?

  14. SA 128-7published at 33 overs

    Target 294

    Charlie Dean has been very impressive again, the young off-spinner has 1-29 from eight overs with just three coming from her latest.

    The worm shows South Africa Women are 39 runs behind England Women. South Africa Women are 128 for 7 after 33 overs. At the same stage England Women were 167 for 4.
  15. Postpublished at 08:07 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Alex Hartley
    England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    EcclestoneImage source, Getty Images

    The scary thing for Sophie Ecclestone is that she's only 22. She's already the best in the world in both white-ball formats, she's just got the most wickets ever for England in a World Cup.

    Where can she go next?

  16. drinks break

    Drinks breakpublished at 08:07 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    SA 125-7

    In theory, we still have 18 overs left in the game but England will want this wrapped up much more quickly.

    South Africa need more than nine an over from here. I'm not sure that is really a consideration anymore, though.

  17. Postpublished at 08:04 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

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  18. SA 125-7published at 32 overs

    That Ecclestone has never taken an international five-for remains one of the more unbelievable statistics given her record over the years.

    She has a chance to put that right at the Hagley Oval, no wickets in this over but she has another five to try and take the two wickets she needs.

  19. Postpublished at 08:01 British Summer Time 31 March 2022

    Alex Hartley
    England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Sophie Ecclestone will be thinking of the five-for.

  20. SA 117-7published at 31 overs

    Target 294

    Decent over for South Africa with a pair of twos for Chetty as well as a couple of leg-side wides, Dean getting good turn but from too straight a line.