After losing the toss and being sent into bat, South Africa posted 319 for seven in their 50 overs, before bowling England out for 194 in reply.
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp took 5-20 with the ball as England lost three wickets with a single run on the board at the start of their innings.
South Africa have now reach their third final in a row in white ball cricket, and first in the 50-over format, but are yet to lift a trophy. They will meet the winner of Thursday’s second semi-final between hosts India and current champions Australia in Sunday’s final.
“It still feels a bit unreal. It’s the sort of thing you dream about, scoring a hundred in a World Cup, and in a knockout game. A really special day,” Wolvaardt said at the post-match presentation.
“We knew the start would be crucial. Taz (Tazmin Brits) and I have been strong at the top, and when we bat well, it feeds through the rest of the order. We identified early that it was a decent wicket, so we wanted to make the most of it.
“The support from the other batters in those partnerships was great too. It was nice to get to a big score, because it turned out to be quite a flat wicket in the end.
“My batting plan was just to go with the flow and the momentum. In the back of my mind, I knew I had those shots. I wanted to bat till around the 40th over so that Chloe (Tryon) and Nadine (de Klerk) could accelerate at the back end. Once I got there, I thought I might as well try to whack a few.”
It is not Wolvaardt’s top score in One-Day International cricket, she managed 184 not out against Sri Lanka last year, but given the importance of the game, this innings is among her best.
“In terms of where this innings ranks, it has to be right up there. The context of the game, a World Cup semi-final, beating a strong side with a top bowling line-up, it’s definitely one of my best,” she said.
Wolvaardt admitted that having had semi-final heartache against England in the past made this win all the sweeter.
“It’s very special. Everyone is really excited. Having lost to this opposition in the semi-finals of the last two editions really hurt the group, so I’m just so pleased we got the win tonight,” she said.
“I wasn’t sure we had enough runs, but I was really happy with how our bowlers performed. When England were 1-3, we definitely didn’t expect that. Kappie (Kapp) was phenomenal again, amazing to see her bowling like that.
“With what she offers with both bat and ball, she’s like a two-in-one player, and that’s incredible for us.
“The final will be an amazing game either way, whether it’s India with that home crowd or world champions Australia. We’ll celebrate tonight and then go back to the drawing board tomorrow.”
