New Zealand wins Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
New Zealand has won the Women’s T20 World Cup title for the first time. The team defeated South Africa by 32 runs in the final played at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, October 20.
South Africa won the toss and decided to bowl first. Batting first, New Zealand scored 158 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. In reply, South Africa could only score 126 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs.
Amelia Kerr scored 43 runs and also took 3 wickets for New Zealand. She was adjudged the Player of the Match.
Kerr and Mair took 3-3 wickets. Apart from Kerr for New Zealand, Brooke Halliday scored 38 and Suzie Bates scored 32 runs. Nonkululeko Mlaba took the most 2 wickets for South Africa. Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka got 1 wicket each.
South Africa had a good start while chasing the target. Captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits shared a 51-run partnership for the first wicket. But, as soon as this partnership broke, the South African team lost wickets at regular intervals. Wolvaardt was the top scorer of the team. She scored 33 runs off 27 balls. Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair took 3-3 wickets for New Zealand. Brooke Halliday, Eden Carson and Fran Jonas got 1 wicket each.
South Africa lost the final for the second time in a row The Kiwi team reached the final after 14 years. Earlier, the team was runner-up in 2009 and 2010. At the same time, it was South Africa’s second consecutive final, it lost to Australia in 2023.
This win was the icing on the cake for New Zealand cricket as earlier in the day, the men’s team defeated India in the first test in Bengaluru ending a 36 year wait to win a test in India.
