New Zealand comfortably defeated South Africa by 32 runs in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 final on Sunday, October 20, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This marked New Zealand’s first World Cup title across all formats.
South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, won the toss and chose to bowl first. Key contributions from Amelia Kerr (43), Brooke Halliday (38), and Suzie Bates (32) helped New Zealand post a total of 158/5 in 20 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba took two wickets for South Africa.
In response, Amelia Kerr (3/24) and Rosemary Mair (3/25) delivered outstanding performances, limiting South Africa to 126/9. Despite Laura Wolvaardt’s effort with 33 runs, she received little support from her teammates.
New Zealand players were overjoyed after the final delivery and celebrated exuberantly following their first World Cup victory. You can watch the celebration video here:
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“We’ve known our goals for the past year”- New Zealand captain Sophie Devine after the win
During the post-match presentation, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine reflected on the significant victory, stating:
“Allowed myself to dream a bit last night about what it would feel like holding that trophy. Unbelievable.It’s been a long time between drinks for New Zealand. We’ve known what we have wanted to build for the last 12 months.”
“Even when the results weren’t going our way, we knew we were building the right way. We played two of the best teams in the world for two games in a row. You want momentum but we’ve rewritten it. Coming off 10 losses in a row but in a World Cup, everyone starts at zero.”
Regarding Amelia Kerr, the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, Devine stated:
“We all know she’s a once in a generation player (Kerr). Physically, to do what she did, I am pretty sure she can’t feel her legs anymore. The person that she is, how caring she is, it’s scary to think how good she could be.”
Amelia Kerr was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 15 wickets in six matches. She also scored 135 runs and was the most valuable player for the World Cup champions.
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