England Women vs South Africa Women Prediction & Preview – T20 World Cup 2nd Semi-Final

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Kennington Oval

England Women face South Africa Women in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Kennington Oval on Thursday 2 July. England arrive unbeaten after five group games. Their last outing was a nine-wicket win over New Zealand, chasing 164 with 16 balls remaining, which sealed top spot in the group.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge has driven the batting with 282 runs at a strike rate of 153.26, including an unbeaten 105. Nat Sciver-Brunt has 94 runs at 159.32, and Sophia Dunkley has 120 at 139.53. In the attack, Sophie Ecclestone has eight wickets at an economy of 5.90, Charlie Dean has seven, and Freya Kemp has six, including a career-best 4/22.

South Africa recovered from their defeat by Australia with four straight wins. In their latest, they chased 118 against Bangladesh to win by four wickets with four balls to spare. Tazmin Brits has 174 runs at a strike rate of 134.88, including an unbeaten 114, while Marizanne Kapp has 119 runs at 148.75 and seven wickets at an economy of 5.21. Annerie Dercksen has 138 runs, Ayabonga Khaka has seven wickets and Nonkululeko Mlaba five at 5.80.

Our preview expects a strong powerplay of around 45 to 50 for no more than one or two wickets to be important, with the final five overs capable of yielding 45 to 55. Teams may prefer to bowl first, but a total above 160 would be hard to chase in a semi-final. England are our narrow favourites.

Probable playing XI

England Women

Amy Jones (wk)
Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Sophia Dunkley
Alice Capsey
Heather Knight
Freya Kemp
Dani Gibson
Charlie Dean
Sophie Ecclestone
Linsey Smith
Lauren Bell

South Africa Women

Laura Wolvaardt (c)
Tazmin Brits
Annerie Dercksen
Dane van Niekerk
Marizanne Kapp
Nadine de Klerk
Chloe Tryon
Sinalo Jafta (wk)
Shabnim Ismail
Ayabonga Khaka
Nonkululeko Mlaba

Pitch report

The Oval is traditionally a balanced surface with good pace and carry. Seamers can find early movement with the new ball, particularly with cloud around, and batting generally becomes easier as the innings develops. Spinners can find grip and turn in the middle overs. Totals of 150 to 165 are competitive in T20 cricket here, and well-set teams can push beyond 170.

Weather

Conditions look excellent, with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, temperatures of roughly 22 to 24°C, moderate humidity and a light to moderate breeze. The chance of rain is very low, so interruptions are unlikely.

Expected scores

1st innings: 150–170
2nd innings: 140–160

Frequently asked questions

When is England Women vs South Africa Women?

The second semi-final of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is at Kennington Oval on 2 July, with a 6:30 pm local start.

How did England reach the semi-final?

They won all five group matches, the last of them a nine-wicket win over New Zealand on 27 June in which they chased 164 with 16 balls to spare.

How did South Africa get here?

After losing their opener to Australia they won four in a row, including a four-wicket win over Bangladesh on 28 June, chasing 118 with four balls left.

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