The South African Women’s team led by skipper Laura Wolvaardt finished 2nd on the points table in Group B with 6 points from 4 games, with their only defeat coming against England in the league stages of the tournament. They defeated the mighty Australians by 8 wickets in the 1st semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to progress to their 2nd successive appearance in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.
New Zealand, led by skipper Sophie Devine, also had an impressive campaign as they finished 2nd on the points table with 6 points from 4 games. Their only defeat in the league stages of their campaign came against Australia led by skipper Alyssa Healy. They defeated the West Indies led by skipper Hayley Matthews by 8 runs in the 2nd semi-final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium to progress to their 3rd appearance in the final after 14 years, having last played in the title clash in the year 2010.
Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa was up against Sophie Devine’s New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. History was in the making as both sides battled for their maiden T20 World Cup title. South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field first in the final. After being inserted to bat first, the New Zealand openers, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer came out with a positive intent. Their pair scored at a rate of over 8 runs an over, taking the attack to the opposition.
Ayabonga Khaka picked up the wicket of Georgia Plimmer to provide the first breakthrough for South Africa. Amelia Kerr joined Suzie Bates at the crease and the duo stitched a crucial 37-run partnership for the 2nd wicket to take their side past the 50-run mark. Nonkululeko Mlaba cleaned up Suzie Bates to provide the 2nd breakthrough for her side.
Skipper Sophie Devine soon followed her back to the pavilion to provide the 3rd breakthrough for South Africa. Brooke Halliday joined Amelia Kerr at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 57-run partnership for the 4th wicket to take their side close to the 130-run mark. Chloe Tryon picked up the crucial wicket of Brooke Halliday to provide the 4th breakthrough for her side.
New Zealand eventually ended up with a total of 158/5 in their quota of 20 overs as Amelia Kerr (43 off 38 balls), Brooke Halliday (38 off 28 balls), Suzie Bates (32 off 31 balls), and Maddy Green (12* off 6 balls) starred. Nonkululeko Mlaba (4-0-31-2), Chloe Tryon (4-0-22-1), Nadine de Klerk (2-0-17-1), and Marizanne Kapp (4-0-25-0) were the top performers with the ball for South Africa.
Chasing a target of 159, the South African openers Tazmin Brits and skipper Laura Wolvaardt got their side off to a flying start with a 51-run opening partnership. Fran Jonas picked up the wicket of Tazmin Brits to provide the first breakthrough for New Zealand. South Africa suffered a collapse as they lost their next four wickets for just 26 runs. Sune Luus joined Chloe Tryon at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 20-run partnership for the 6th wicket to take their side closer to the 100-run mark.
Brooke Halliday picked up the wicket of Sune Luus to provide the 6th breakthrough for her side. South Africa eventually ended up with a total of 126/9 in their quota of 20 overs, falling 32 runs short of the target. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27 balls), Tazmin Brits (17 off 18 balls), Chloe Tryon (14 off 16 balls), and Annerie Dercksen (10 off 9 balls), were the top performers with the bat for South Africa. Amelia Kerr (4-0-24-3), Rosemary Mair (4-0-25-3), Eden Carson (4-0-22-1), Fran Jonas (4-0-28-1), and Brooke Halliday (1-0-4-1) were the top performers with the ball for New Zealand.
Amelia Kerr, 24, was awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational all-round performance. She chipped in with a handy knock (43 off 38 balls) with the bat and returned with a sensational, match-winning (4-0-24-3) spell, battling through cramps.
Amelia Kerr ❤️#CricketTwitter #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/y227xRTKsj
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 21, 2024
She was also named the Player of the Tournament for her brilliant all-round contributions throughout the tournament. She scored 135 runs at a strike rate of 90 and an impressive average of 27 in 6 innings with the bat for her side. Apart from her contributions with the bat, she was also the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 15 wickets at an impressive average of 7.33 and an exceptional economy of 4.85 in 6 innings with the ball for her side. She played a pivotal role in helping the White Ferns clinch a historic, their maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title.
Watch Highlights: Final – South Africa vs New Zealand Women ( Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 )
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