South Africa will play in the final after New Zealand defeats the West Indies by 8 runs.
On Friday, October 18, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the women of New Zealand defeated the West Indies by 8 runs in an exciting semi-final to book their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup finals for the third time.
Captain Sophie Devine won the toss and chose to bat first, amassing a score of 128/9 in 20 overs. It looked modest at times, especially after the Windies women got off to such an aggressive start. Ultimately, though, the Kiwi bowlers’ masterful plan paid off, as they held Hayley Matthews’ team to 120/8 in their 20 overs.
Eden Carson (3/29), an off-spinner, bowled brilliantly in the match, denting the West Indies with early blows. Amelia Kerr (2/14) played a brilliant role, taking the valuable wicket of Deandra Dottin.
Throughout the competition, Carson (8 wickets) and Kerr (12 wickets) combined for 20 opponent wickets and were New Zealand’s most potent weapons.
With 15 overs remaining, Beijing Olympian Suzie Bates bowled the last over, limiting the opposition to only seven runs, securing the victory for New Zealand.Before the game, Dottin, one of the top all-around players for the Women’s Division, bowled both conventional and wide yorkers with great accuracy, finishing with a 4/22 score. It became simpler for Dottin to alter the pace, making things harder for opposing batters, as the majority of the pitches held up.After winning the trophy just once in 2016, the West Indies have now lost five times in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals. New Zealand, meanwhile, has made it to the championship round three times, having first participated in the competition in 2010 and again in the first one.
Following the stunning victory in Sharjah, New Zealand prepared for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 finals, which will take place on Sunday, October 20, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. South Africa will be the opponent.
