On Sunday, New Zealand won their first Women’s T20 World Cup victory in Dubai after defeating South Africa by 32 runs. It was a historic Sunday for New Zealand cricket, as the White Ferns lifted the ICC trophy just hours after the men won their first Test in India in 36 years. In their second consecutive final, South Africa sent New Zealand in to bat, and the Sophie Devine-led team thrived under duress, scoring an above-par 158 for five at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Amelia Kerr scored 43 off 38 balls, while Brooke Halliday hit an impressive 38 off 28 balls to propel New Zealand above 150 in a low-scoring event. South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt (33 off 27) led her team to 47 for no loss in the powerplay before New Zealand’s bowlers stifled their opponents.
South Africa struggled to keep up with the scoring rate, finishing with 126 for nine in 20 overs. Kerr also performed admirably with her leg-spin, taking three wickets for 24 runs in four overs.
It was a remarkable turnaround for New Zealand, who had entered the competition with ten consecutive losses. They were the competition’s greatest bowling team by a long shot, and on Sunday, they improved their batting by several notches. South Africa could not recover after losing their brave commander Wolvaardt in the tenth over. Kerr took the prized wicket when Wolvaardt, attempting to increase the scoring pace, found Suzie Bates at cover.
When the semifinal hero, Anneke Bosch, died five balls later, it was clear what was going to happen. South Africa’s inexperienced middle order could not respond to the pressure.