Witness the groundbreaking moment as New Zealand women secure their first T20I World Cup victory. Delve into the details of this historic triumph and its significance.
Introduction:
October 20, 2024, was to be remembered as a cricket day like never before. For one, the New Zealand women’s team won the first-ever ICC T20I World Cup on this day in Dubai. If that were not enough, the men had only a few hours earlier won the Test series in India after waiting for 36 years. The entire nation saw such a celebration of cricketing excellence.
See also: New Zealand Dominate as India Collapse in a Dramatic 1st Test Day
Dreams That Came True for New Zealand Women
The New Zealand women’s side, long time finalists and stalwarts Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates under their captaincy finally got the trophy that seemed to elude them for 14 years. In a jest, Bates and Devine “called themselves the ‘grandmas of the team'”, but more important than that was leadership combined with skills in delivering a victory that on more than one occasion had almost come within their grasp.
As New Zealand’s four million went to work on Monday morning, Devine and Bates had just wrapped up. They held aloft the trophy that symbolized their hard work, dedication, and resilience over the years. Their achievement also symbolized a breakthrough for New Zealand women’s cricket, which had long struggled with limited resources and depth. It was also the crowning moment of their illustrious careers.
Amelia Kerr: The Hero of the Finale
Amelia Kerr, the emerging star of New Zealand cricket, was the shining light on the day. She had cramps throughout the final but still could score 43 and pick three match-winning wickets. At the end, she mentioned that she wanted this win for her seniors, Devine and Bates, and the picture of that person fighting against all odds is exactly what the journey through this tournament for New Zealand cricket has defined.
On the eve of the World Cup, New Zealand had suffered a woeful run of 10 successive T20I losses, the longest losing streak ever turned around to win a cricket World Cup. Past failures meant little on this greater stage, though, as the team delivered almost a perfect plan to win the cup.
Aggressive Start by New Zealand Women
However, against South Africa in the final, New Zealand came out all guns blazing. With a challenging score to chase, South Africa was no stranger to defending totals of 134 and 141 in this ground itself during the course of the tournament. The top order of New Zealand, led by Suzie Bates, adopted a cautious approach initially. Though Bates had hardly clicked throughout the tournament, she showed glimpses of her brilliance as early boundaries appeared in the innings.
Still, the pressure of the final began to tell its tale. South Africa’s bowlers, particularly the spinners, turned on the pressure. Bates finally yielded to 32 off 31 balls as she tried a pretty audacious ramp shot off Nonkululeko Mlaba. It was a very tricky shot and came at the very crucial stage of the match.
Halliday’s Match-Defining Innings
With Bates and Devine rested, New Zealand finally had to own this moment. In retort, Brooke Halliday – her third game after ousting the flow-rich Rachel Priest from the left-handed middle-order batting slot in July has brought much-needed momentum into the innings, thus putting an end to an 48-delivery boundary drought. Innovative stroke-play including sweeps and slogs opened up scoring options down the leg side.
Halliday’s 38 came hard-earned under pressure. Along with Kerr, she put on half-century in 37 balls, keeping New Zealand’s hope alive. In turn, the pair ensured a finish of New Zealand innings at 158 — a score short just one run of what it takes for them to defend their match against India successfully in the opening match of the tournament.
South Africa Response and Wolvaardt’s Fight
South Africa began their chase confidently with Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits looking solid at the crease. For the first time in the tournament, New Zealand’s bowlers failed to take a wicket during the powerplay. At 47 for no loss South Africa seemed well on course to chase down the target.
However, everything changed when Fran Jonas dismissed Brits in the seventh over. Wolvaardt continued to counter-punch, but her dismissal, trying to go inside-out off Kerr, proved to be a massive blow. This wicket triggered a South African collapse.
Kerr’s All-Round Brilliance Seals Victory
Amelia Kerr kept the overcast of the day hanging over it when she dismissed South Africa’s semi-final winner’s hero Anneke Bosch. Bosch was batting for the match-winning knock just a few days ago and was caught behind off a sweep shot. Convinced captain Sophie Devine reviewed the decision and Kerr’s tenacity paid off.
Then, Eden Carson threw the final nail in South Africa’s coffin by getting out Marizanne Kapp in the 12th over. Kapp’s mistimed slog to deep midwicket almost finished South Africa’s case as the New Zealand bowlers continued to strangle the match.
A Day to Remember
It was just as the last few minutes of the match began unfolding, but it became well apparent that New Zealand would be the one carrying the trophy. Such was the happiness of Devine, the heroics of Kerr and the final catches of Bates, as it was a journey for the team who had absolutely arrived at the pinnacle after overcoming loads of hardships to annex their first ICC Women’s T20I World Cup.
It was to usher in a new chapter in New Zealand’s cricketing history and told the country it wasn’t so bad for women’s cricket there, at least, but also signaled a moment of national pride that thundered through the cricketing world.