Cricket: South Africa to face New Zealand in Women's T20 World Cup final

Whatever the result in Dubai on Sunday, October 20, 2024, there will be a new name on the trophy when New Zealand lines up against South Africa in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

It promises to be a fitting finale to a competition that has produced some excellent and some middling cricket after it was switched at short notice to the United Arab Emirates following political unrest in Bangladesh, where it was due to take place.

Apart from bringing new interest to the women’s game, the final on Sunday will also pit the two sides that have played the canniest and most courageous cricket during the competition.

Unlike others, they have also largely held their catches, although the White Ferns did make life more awkward for themselves in their semifinal win against the West Indies by dropping Deandra Dottin twice. Not many teams get away with that.

After making just 128-9, which even on a slow Sharjah pitch felt 10 to 15 runs short, the Kiwis defended that total superbly against a batting lineup which, as England found to their discomfort in their winner-takes-all group match, takes no prisoners.

Amelia Kerr, the leading wicket-taker for the tournament with 12, and Eden Carson bowled superbly, leading skipper Sophie Devine to look optimistically towards the final.

“We are really excited about the final. We have nothing to lose and that is a great space to be. We are going to win this thing now,” said Devine, who was in the team that lost to Australia by three runs in the 2010 final, the latter of New Zealand’s two previous finals.

She is more than aware, however, of the dangers presented by a South African side that went close last year, losing to Australia by 19 runs in the final in Cape Town. The Proteas also bowled the White Ferns out for 67 in that edition to win by 65 runs in their group-stage encounter.

“Kapp is one of the best players in the world, and Bosch in the game against Australia was superb. But we have to focus on ourselves, and hope the cricketing gods are on our side as well,” said Devine.

The South Africans have also grown in the last 12 months with that trio of players at the forefront of the batting, while Nonkululeko Mlaba, equal second-highest wicket-taker with 10, has led the bowling attack with strong backing, especially from Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka.

“I’m just incredibly proud of everyone and the team and just the way that we approached this whole World Cup and how we’ve played throughout,” said Bosch after her match-winning knock.

South Africa stormed into the final as the only team to have beaten Australia this year. First, when they bowled out the champions for 149 in a one-day international in February, and then in Thursday’s semifinal.

The Proteas have lost one game in the tournament and won an away T20 series against Pakistan.

On the other hand, the White Ferns opened their World Cup campaign with a win over pre-tournament favourites India and closed their group phase by knocking them out with a win over Pakistan. Their only loss in the tournament came against the side South Africa defeated in the first semifinal, the defending champions Australia.

Australia’s dominance over the years, winning six of the eight previous tournaments, has restricted the opportunities for anyone else. Only England, in the inaugural tournament of 2009, and West Indies in 2016 have seen them off.

The Australians have also appeared in seven of the eight finals, not to be this time after South Africa’s dominant semi-final victory.