World champions! New Zealand complete fairytale run to first title

Amelia Kerr’s all-round brilliance has delivered a fairytale first T20 World Cup title for New Zealand, leaving South African hearts shattered for a second consecutive tournament.

Kerr, who battled cramp throughout a balmy evening in Dubai, struck a 38-ball 43 as the White Ferns posted 5-158 to ensure the Proteas would need to pull off the largest chase in a women’s T20 World Cup final to claim the trophy.

She then collected 3-24 with the ball, including the key wickets of Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch, as New Zealand sealed a stunning 32-run victory in front of 21,457 fans at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sunday’s result was the finishing flourish on the unlikeliest of underdog stories for the White Ferns, who had arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a record 10-game losing streak in T20Is.

It is New Zealand’s first T20 World Cup trophy for either gender, and the White Ferns' second senior ICC tournament win following their ODI World Cup win in 2000.

Emotions bubbled over for stalwarts Suzie Bates and captain Sophie Devine, who played in both of New Zealand’s previous losing T20 World Cup finals in 2009 and 2010.

Sunday's game was also Devine's last T20I in charge of the White Ferns, having announced she was giving up the captaincy prior to the tournament.

It capped a remarkable turnaround for a team who were shattered to miss out on the semi-finals of their home ODI World Cup in 2022, subsequently changing their coach and investing in youth.

While the White Ferns may not have been fancied to make the final – and at times fumbled their way through to make it, with a 60-run loss to Australia and a shaky win over Sri Lanka in the group stage – their performance on Sunday was a display of dominance that fittingly bookended their opening upset 58-run win over India at the same ground 17 days earlier.

Gone were the catching woes that almost cost them the semi-final, while Kerr’s heroics were backed up by quick Rosemary Mair (3-25) and off-spinner Eden Carson (1-22) as South Africa were restricted to 9-128.

The Proteas, who had belted six-time champions Australia in the semi-final three days earlier, could not recapture that form, at times appearing nervous as they found themselves favourites in a final for the first time.

Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to chase, citing South Africa’s success at reeling in a target at the tournament.

Devine indicated she would have preferred to bat anyway, and White Ferns openers Georgia Plimmer and Bates arrived in the middle full of intent.

Plimmer found the boundary twice but was unable to clear the field when she looked to dispatch Ayabonga Khaka in the second over, caught at long on for nine.

Bates, who became the most-capped female player across all formats at the start of the match surpassing India great Mithali Raj’s 333 games, laid a solid foundation with her 31-ball 32.

The Proteas were feeling the pinch, with misfields and wayward throws creeping into a fielding display that had been close to impeccable against Australia in the semi-final.

New Zealand reached 2-70 at the midway point but when they lost Devine lbw for six two balls after drinks, they needed one of their less experienced middle-order batters to rise to the occasion.

That player was Brooke Halliday, who joined Kerr in a 57-run stand and injected momentum into the New Zealand innings with her 38 from 28 deliveries.

When she departed, Kerr upped the ante, hitting back-to-back boundaries off Nonkululeko Mlaba, while Maddy Green produced a cameo of 12no from six balls as 27 runs came off the final two overs.

If there had been obvious nerves in the field, those had shaken out by the time openers Proteas Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits arrived in the middle.

They raced to 0-47 off the Powerplay, before left-arm spinner Fran Jonas broke their opening stand next over, with Brits caught on the boundary for 17.

Kerr, limping her way through cramp, roared in delight when she then secured the key wicket of Wolvaardt, tamely caught at extra cover for 33.

A clever call from wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze to review for an edge behind saw semi-final hero Bosch forced for depart for nine.

At 3-64 at the 10-over mark, needing 9.5 runs an over, the Proteas needed something special from a middle-order than had been little utilised throughout the tournament.

With the pressure building, Marizanne Kapp found a much-needed boundary in the 12th over, but was caught in the deep sweeping next ball.

The fiercely competitive allrounder was furious with herself as she walked off, and the Proteas’ predicament only worsened when Nadine de Klerk was removed by Mair next ball.

At 5-77, the experienced combination of Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus came together with their team needing an increasingly unlikely 82 off 47.

While the powerful Tryon remained, so did South Africa’s faint hopes, and she threw her bat but when she was bowled by Mair at the start of the 19th over, it was simply a matter of time before Devine and her New Zealand underdogs lifted the trophy.

2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

Finals

October 17: Semi-final 1: South Africa beat Australia by eight wickets

October 18: Semi-final 2: New Zealand beat West Indies by eight runs

October 20: Final: New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs

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