By Rajdeep Saha | Oct 03, 2025, 10:31 PM
**South Africa Captain Laura Wolvaardt Defends Team’s Performance in ICC Women’s World Cup Opener**
South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, has spoken out following her team’s disappointing opening match of the ICC Women’s World Cup against England. The match, held in Guwahati, saw South Africa bowled out for just 69 runs — their third-lowest total in women’s ODIs — resulting in a 10-wicket defeat.
Wolvaardt attributed the poor performance to “one of those days where the top order and middle order failed on the same day.”
### Team Resilience: No Blame on the Pitch
Wolvaardt made it clear that the conditions were not to blame for their struggles. “I think our prep has been good, I don’t think there were too many demons in the pitch,” she said after the match.
“It was just one of those days where everyone went out early, and that happens in cricket sometimes. It was not a pitch that we were super foreign to. We spent a lot of time in these conditions in the last couple of months, so definitely wouldn’t put it on the wicket.”
### “We Are Much, Much Better Than 69 All Out”
Despite the heavy loss, Wolvaardt remains confident in her team’s abilities. “We are much, much better than 69 all out. As a group, we just need to put it behind us as quickly as we can and move forward,” she stated.
“If we’re going to take that into the next game, it’s going to be a very long tournament for us.”
### Game Plan and Preparation
Ahead of the match, South Africa’s batting coach, Baakier Abrahams, had closely monitored Wolvaardt’s preparation against left-arm spin. Net bowlers were instructed to vary their angles and bowl from wide of the crease to hone her footwork and shot selection.
However, her efforts were cut short when England’s Smith dismissed Wolvaardt with a return catch in the second over. This early dismissal set a challenging tone for South Africa’s innings, as the team lost four wickets within 31 balls.
### Batting Concerns: Middle Order Under the Spotlight
Despite South Africa’s strong batting record in ODIs since 2023, the performance of their Nos. 3 to 6 was questioned after this defeat. Wolvaardt defended her middle order, emphasizing their recent successes.
“I don’t think that we have any trouble in our middle order at the moment,” she said. “It’s just one of those days where both top order and middle order didn’t fire.”
### Looking Ahead: Next Match Against New Zealand
South Africa’s next World Cup match is scheduled for October 6 against New Zealand in Indore. The team will be eager to bounce back from this defeat and demonstrate their true potential on the international stage.
Wolvaardt remains optimistic, looking forward to the upcoming matches and confident in her team’s ability to perform better.
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*Stay tuned for more updates on the ICC Women’s World Cup.*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/wolvaardt-says-her-side-is-better-than-69-all-out/story
