Amelia Kerr top-scores and then takes key wickets as New Zealand beat South Africa to become Women's T20 World Cup champions for the first time; South Africa limited to 126-9 chasing 159 as they suffer defeat in final for second tournament in a row
Sunday 20 October 2024 22:51, UK
An Amelia Kerr-inspired New Zealand are Women's T20 World Cup champions for the first time after inflicting a second successive defeat in the final on South Africa, winning by 32 runs in Dubai.
The White Ferns, who had lost 10 consecutive T20 internationals heading into the tournament and 16 of their previous 19, posted 158-5 after being inserted with Kerr (43 off 38) top-scoring.
The all-rounder, dropped on 28 by Ayabonga Khaka, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 57 with Brooke Halliday (38 off 28) after a quiet period in the middle overs had followed a positive start instigated by veteran opener Suzie Bates (32 off 31).
Leg-spinner Kerr (3-24), bowling with a hobble, perhaps due to her earlier exertions with the bat, then took her wicket tally in the competition to a leading 15 as South Africa, beaten by Australia in the 2023 showpiece in Cape Town, made just 126-9 and New Zealand went one better than their runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010.
The Proteas raced to 51-0 inside seven overs through skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) and Tazmin Brits (17 off 18), only for Kerr to have Wolvaardt pouched at cover and then dismiss Anneke Bosch (9) - the player who had powered South Africa past favourites Australia in the semi-finals - after a successful caught-behind review.
Wolvaardt's side slumped from that point to suffer heartbreak in the final once again and are still to win a World Cup in either the 50-over or 20-over formats, with New Zealand adding the T20 title to the ODI trophy they lifted in 2000 after a success in the UAE that few would have predicted ahead of this year's event.
The White Ferns' victory - which handed stalwarts Bates, 37 and skipper Sophie Devine, 35, their first global titles in possibly their last attempt - capped a superb day for the nation with New Zealand's men's side clinching their first Test triumph in India in 36 years.
New Zealand's intent was clear from the off as Bates and Georgia Plimmer regularly charged down the pitch - Plimmer striking Marizanne Kapp for two boundaries in the opening over before holing out to long-on off Khaka in the second.
Bates managed three boundaries in her knock, helping New Zealand to 43-1 in the powerplay, but was then clean bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba in the eighth over after shuffling across her stumps and looking to heave behind square on the leg-side.
When Devine (6) was out lbw to Nadine de Klerk after an inspired South Africa review, New Zealand were tottering on 70-3 in the 11th, only for Halliday to revive the innings at the backend of the 14th with successive boundaries off Sune Luus.
Kerr punished Khaka for shelling a sharp chance off her own bowling by clubbing back-to-back boundaries off Mlaba and while Kerr was caught at deep midwicket shortly after, Maddy Green's last-over six ensured 48 runs were smoked from the final five.
South Africa began their innings positively with Wolvaardt's five boundaries coming either side of the wicket but once Brits picked out long-on off the bowling of Fran Jonas and Kerr accounted for Wolvaardt and Bosch, the innings stalled.
The Proteas' middle order has not had much of a hit in this tournament due to the form of Wolvaardt and Brits, and then Bosch's swashbuckling 74 from 48 balls against Australia, and that perhaps told as Kapp (8), De Klerk (6) and Luus (8) fell cheaply.
By then, though, South Africa had no option but to target the boundary with the run-rate having spiralled out of control due to New Zealand's clinical bowling - Rosemary Mair bagging 3-25 from four overs - and sharp fielding.
South Africa were made to pay for their bowling sloppiness as they conceded 10 wides and bowled three no-balls.
Player of the Match and Tournament, Amelia Kerr:
"I am a bit speechless. I am just so stoked to get the win considering what this team has been through. It is what dreams are made of. I love playing for the White Ferns. They mean so much to me.
"It's always nice to get the big players out; you want to be a big-match player and make a breakthrough. I just want to keep getting better, I have never enjoyed bowling so much."
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine:
"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 is hard to put into words what it means for this group of players.
"The great thing about this group is that we know what we have been trying to achieve. It has been a steep learning curve but we have been taking steps in the right direction.
"To be standing here now, it is pretty special."
