New Zealand win maiden Women’s T20 World Cup: All you need to know
1. New Zealand White Ferns Win Their Maiden Women’s T20 World Cup Title
New Zealand’s White Ferns delivered a resounding display, ensuring that their maiden title was sealed with a 32-run victory over South Africa in the final held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
This was a decisive victory but of course a close one as well, being the last victory that came in the day which was an historic day for New Zealand cricket. But only a few hours earlier, during the same day, the men had ended the long wait by emulating a first Test victory in India after 36 years since it was a momentous occasion for the country.
2. New Zealand’s Tight Batting Performance
South Africa elected to send New Zealand in to bat first and the side led by Sophie Devine made the most of the game by accepting the challenge of posting a total of 158 for five on the board in 20 overs.
Amelia Kerr top-scored with 43 off 38 balls and plays a vital role for New Zealand in her batting. Her score was stable and helped set anchor for the team after the initial jitters in the innings.
Brooke Halliday also made a big contribution of 38 out of the 28 she faced to take New Zealand to 150 plus, which is enough against any side in what was otherwise a low-scoring tournament so far.
3. South Africa’s Early Response and Powerplay Dominance
South Africa started well, with their skipper Laura Wolvaardt leading the attack with 33 off 27 balls. She, along with her opening partner, ensured South Africa ended powerplay one without losing any wickets to reach 47.
However, as New Zealand pressed, South Africa’s innings began to come under pressure against the disciplined bowling attack.
4. Amelia Kerr Puts in All-Round Display
Amelia Kerr topped the batting chart as well as spearheaded the New Zealand bowling with three wickets for 24 runs from four overs.
The most important wickets came in the tenth over as she dismissed Wolvaardt, which sort of turned the gear a bit in the game, when an attempt by Wolvaardt to get the scoring rate up ended up finding Suzie Bates at cover, which was a big wicket for New Zealand.
The next hour was cruel for Kerr’s side however, as she sent South Africa’s hero for the semifinal win, the unchanged Anneke Bosch, five balls later and left South Africa’s middle order horribly exposed and unable to keep pace.
5. South Africa Middle Order Collapse
Once Wolvaardt and Bosch went, South Africa’s middle order – which had only been marginally tested throughout the tournament – folded under pressure.
None of the successive batsmen could look to capitalize further on the momentum, as the wickets kept coming at regular intervals with New Zealand’s bowlers gaining stranglehold on the game.
South African innings came to a close at 126 for nine in their 20 overs leaving them 32 runs short of New Zealand’s total.
6. New Zealand’s Bowling- The key to their victory.
The New Zealand had been the best bowling unit of the entire tournament, and they were true to their billing in the final.
South Africa boasted a deep top order batting lineup but the New Zealand bowlers, headed by Kerr’s great leg spin and several wickets taken at important junctures of the game, never allowed them to settle into a rhythm or become comfortable enough.
7. Sophie Devine’s Legacy as Captain
This win marked the ideal farewell for the seasoned New Zealand captain, Sophie Devine, who in earlier days had indicated this would be her last major tournament.
The old guard such as Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu played a pivotal role in guiding the mainlly inexperienced team to the title and hence left behind a legacy of tenacity and grit with years to go for New Zealand cricket heroes.
8. South Africa’s Broken Dreams
For South Africa, this was their second consecutive loss in a Women’s T20 World Cup final, and this time to Australia in the 2023 final in Cape Town.
Although they have reached another final, New Zealand’s clinical performance has again foiled them. The loss of key players Wolvaardt and Bosch at crucial times left the team with too much to do in the latter stages of the game.
9. Amelia Kerr: Man of the Match and the Tournament
Amelia Kerr was selected as the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Tournament, giving due recognition for all-round brilliance.
She played with both bat and ball throughout the tournament, when really it mattered to New Zealand to get a win. She saved it all for the final and became the focal point on the world’s biggest stage.
10. Post-Match Comments: A Dream Come True
It was an ecstatic and relief-filled moment among New Zealand players, as Kerr reacted with disbelief with the result: “I’m a little bit speechless and I’m just so stoked to get the win, considering what this team’s been through and yeah, it’s what dreams are made of.””
Lea Tahuhu did not differ from the above terms as she added, “Puts all the hard work into realization. Unbelievably proud. This team is special.”
Of course, the win owed a lot to the fact of it being the title, but it also came from an incredible journey with a team that had struggled hard in the previous 18 months – with a 10-match losing streak before this tournament changed the fortunes around.
11. A Sweet Redemption After Past Heartbreaks
New Zealand had almost, agonizingly close, won the Women’s T20 World Cup over the previous years, losing the 2010 final to Australia by just three runs and the final of 2009 to England. A victory here marked a moment of redemption and crowning glory for any number of players who had been through past heartbreaks and led by captains such as Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates.
New Zealand’s first Women’s T20 World Cup title marked the culmination of endurance and team spirit. It was a historic night in New Zealand cricketing history, as it vindicated the effort of the team that had been under much pressure, as they were going through difficult times of late. All-round heroics from Amelia Kerr and a collective fight by the side ensured that the White Ferns penned their names in history on a memorable night in Dubai.
