Posted on October 21, 2024
New Zealand defeated South Africa by 32 runs to win the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time ever, after an allround effort from opener Melie Kerr, named player of the tournament, was followed by impressive bowling by the team.
After Kerr had made 43 from 38 balls, she left the field literally unable to walk due to cramp induced by Dubai’s heat, yet managed to bag the scalps of Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch at the beginning and end of the 10th over to toss the match on its head.
New Zealand’s first overseas ¬trophy since 2000 comes after a wretched spell, during which they suffered a 5-0 T20 whitewash at the hands of England in July. On Sunday in Dubai, however, it all seemed to come together for these Kiwi underdogs.
Here was vindication at last for the self-proclaimed Kiwi “grandmas” – Suzie Bates, 37; Sophie Devine, 35; and Leigh Tahuhu, 34 – who have fought for years with barely a sniff of World Cup success (New Zealand last appeared in a World Cup final in 2010) and for whom this was very likely a final chance at World Cup glory.
“This means everything to us. When you play team sport you want to be a world champion. We’ve fought our way back to the top. There’s been some dark times when we couldn’t get a win leading into this World Cup and we questioned ourselves as leaders. But Sophie’s been outstanding leading this team.” End
Devine said, “I started to let myself dream a little bit last night about what it would be like to hold that trophy up in front of that team. It’s hard to put into words what it means not just for me but for some of the players within this team and for New Zealand cricket as well-it’s been a long time between drinks.”
Kerr was the star, finishing with figures of three for 24, but this was a team effort: Brooke Halliday joined her in a 57-run fourth-wicket stand built on blood, tears but mainly sweat, with plenty of hard running between the wickets.
Then, as South Africa streaked to 58 for one off eight overs in pursuit of their target of 159, Tahuhu really piled on the pressure with five dot balls in a row. A frustrated Wolvaardt tried to hit out, but got caught on the ring.
Five balls later Bosch – so dominant on Thursday in the semi-final against Australia – feather-edged to Izzy Gaze behind the stumps, and Devine appealed to DRS, overturning the original not-out decision.
Bates proved, as ever, a safe pair of hands at cover, holding on to three catches, while there were also ¬wickets for the young spinners Fran Jonas and Eden Carson, and three for the seamer Rosemary Mair, as South Africa’s run-chase petered out.
“Coming to a World Cup, ¬everyone starts back at zero and it’s everyone’s game,” Devine said. “The important thing about this group is that it’s not always the person that takes the wickets or the catches – it’s the teamwork, it’s working hard for your mate out in the middle.”
South Africa batted New Zealand into the ground as the Kiwis came out all guns ¬blazing, ¬reaching 50 for one in the opening seven overs before South Africa pegged them back.
Bates again herself to another record, this time making 334 appearances for women’s internationals, while scoring 32; the pickings were always easy down the leg side, though, and she was eventually bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba, who shuffled across her stumps to play a sweep. Devine added just six before DRS review came up just in time for South Africa, showing Nadine de Klerk had indeed struck her in line.
But the Kerr-Halliday partnership did, however allow New Zealand to recover, as did some sloppy discipline from the South Africans, who delivered 10 wides and three no-balls. They did ¬get the better of Halliday and Kerr in successive overs at the death, but were penalised for a slow over rate which meant they were allowed only three fielders out during the 20th over.
That enabled Maddy Green to hit the penultimate ball of the innings over the boundary rope for the first six of the innings: 16 came off the over and the momentum firmly swung round again in New Zealand’s favour.