Melie Kerr hit 43, took three wickets and bowled through cramp to do it. On October 20, 2024, in Dubai, New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs and won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time.
The White Ferns lost the toss and were put in. Georgia Plimmer made their intent plain with two boundaries in the first over, though she fell soon after, lofting Ayabonga Khaka to Sune Luus at long on. Kerr and Suzie Bates kept things moving, and the pair reached 43 for one at the end of the powerplay. No other side had scored that many against South Africa in the first six overs of the tournament.
Bates was playing her 334th match for New Zealand, the most of any woman in international cricket. She made 32 before Nonkululeko Mlaba bowled her as she shuffled across her stumps.
At the halfway mark New Zealand were 70 for two. Sophie Devine went next, given out lbw by Nadine de Klerk after Laura Wolvaardt’s review landed with moments to spare. In came Brooke Halliday, who joined Kerr for a partnership of 57 in seven overs. Halliday hit two boundaries in a row off Luus and made 38 from 28 balls before Chloe Tryon had her caught at deep square leg by Anneke Bosch. Kerr started the 18th over with back-to-back fours, then also holed out in the deep.
Maddy Green provided the last flourish, hitting the penultimate ball of the innings for six. Luus dropped her off the final delivery. New Zealand finished on 158 for five, with 48 coming in the last five overs, the second-highest total in any Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Kerr turns the chase
South Africa had the right openers for the job. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits were the two leading run-scorers in the competition, and they made 47 without loss in the powerplay. Fran Jonas broke it in the next over, when Brits holed out to long on.
Then Kerr, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, took over. Limping with cramp, she opened her second over by having Wolvaardt caught by Bates at cover for 33. She closed it by getting Bosch caught behind on review.
Two more wickets decided the game. Marizanne Kapp found Plimmer at deep square leg off Eden Carson on the last ball of the 12th over. The next began with de Klerk swiping Rosemary Mair to Kerr at backward point. Kerr returned to remove Annerie Dercksen, her 15th wicket of the tournament, and Mair took two in the penultimate over to finish with three for 25. Kerr’s figures were three for 24.
South Africa ended on 126 for nine. Carson bowled the final over, and Devine finished her time as New Zealand’s T20 captain with the trophy in her hands. It was a good day for New Zealand cricket generally: the men’s team had secured a first Test win in India in 36 years earlier the same day.
Sources
Sources
- New Zealand v South Africa Twenty20 World Cup final – White Ferns…
- New Zealand's first T20 World Cup win! – nzc.nz
