The grand finale of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, held on October 20, 2024, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, marked a historic moment in women’s cricket. Overcoming South Africa women, the New Zealand Women’s team won. This thrilling encounter showcased the best of cricketing excellence, with Amelia Kerr’s standout all-round performance earning her the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament honors.

South Africa and New Zealand: A Tale of Two Teams and Their Expedition to the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Final

South Africa opened their campaign with a commanding 10-wicket victory over the West Indies but stumbled against England. Strong wins against Scotland and Bangladesh propelled them to the semi-finals, where they defeated defending champions Australia by 8 wickets. South Africa’s second consecutive final reflected their growing dominance in women’s cricket, although they narrowly missed clinching the title.

New Zealand’s journey to success kicked off with a dominant 58-run triumph over India. After a defeat to Australia, they bounced back with victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, securing a spot in the semi-finals. Then, here comes New Zealand’s 8-run edge over West Indies in the semis. Their consistent team effort throughout the tournament was pivotal in overcoming their past final heartbreaks and securing their first-ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy.

New Zealand’s Innings: Building a Defendable Total

Winning the toss, South Africa elected to field, hoping to capitalize on early movement. New Zealand’s start was shaky, losing Georgia Plimmer in the second over, but seasoned campaigners Suzie Bates (32 off 31) and Amelia Kerr steadied the innings with a valuable 37-run partnership. During the middle overs, Kerr (43 off 38) and Brooke Halliday (38 off 28) played key roles in stabilizing the innings. Their measured aggression kept the runs coming. Halliday, in particular, accelerated with a strike rate of 135.71, hitting crucial boundaries to build momentum. Despite tight bowling from Nonkululeko Mlaba (2/31), New Zealand posted a competitive total of 158/5, aided by late contributions from Maddy Green (12 off 6) and extras (15 runs).

South Africa’s Chase: A Promising Start Ends in Collapse

South Africa began their chase confidently, with Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) and Tazmin Brits (17 off 18) forming a solid 47-run partnership in the powerplay. However, New Zealand’s spin wizard Amelia Kerr broke the partnership, dismissing Brits and striking twice in the 10th over to remove Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch (9 off 13). South Africa began well, but their performance dipped in the middle overs. Marizanne Kapp (8 off 8) and Nadine de Klerk (6 off 7) fell quickly, as New Zealand’s bowlers tightened the screws. Rosemary Mair (3/25) and Eden Carson (1/22) dismantled the lower order, leaving South Africa struggling to maintain momentum. Despite brief resistance from Chloe Tryon (14 off 16) and Annerie Dercksen (10 off 9), South Africa fell short. Regular wickets and a rising required run rate saw them finish at 126/9, handing New Zealand a 32-run victory.

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