Alice Capsey’s maiden one-day international fifty was a single glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark and disastrous day for England, who were crushed by 125 runs in the World Cup semi-final. Capsey’s 107-run partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt was the team’s only moment of resistance.
They came together after a catastrophic start had left England at one for three, with their top three batters all dismissed for ducks by Marizanne Kapp.
Capsey showed no fear, playing her shots and bringing up a milestone fifty in her first World Cup campaign. For a while, the pair gave England a sliver of hope in their chase of 320.
However, the “queen of seam” Marizanne Kapp returned to the attack. She broke the partnership, dismissing Sciver-Brunt, and went on to claim five for 20.
Capsey’s brave stand was a footnote in a match dominated by Laura Wolvaardt’s 169. It showed future promise, but it was not enough to save England’s present.
