On October 20, New Zealand and South Africa met in the final of the women’s T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium.
South Africa was the runner-up of the previous T20 World Cup and had knocked out Australia in the semi-final, but New Zealand had come off a 10-match losing streak before the tournament started.
Proteas Try To Stay In The Fight
During the first half of the match, the White Ferns were on top, but the South Africans weren’t going to let the tournament slip easily from their hands as they went for 51-0 in seven overs, but they fell through to 77-5 and then stumbled more as they only got 126-9.
Kerr Lifts The White Ferns Higher
Melie Kerr managed to get 3-24 to become the leading wicket taker of the tournament, while Rosemary Mair grabbed 3-25 for the White Ferns. Kerr wasn’t helping on one side, but she also managed to bat well for her team in the fight for the trophy. She scored 43 from 38 balls, with Brooke Halliday getting 57 to give New Zealand a score of 158-5.
Kerr Wins Player Of The Tournament
Kerr was awarded player of the match and also player of the tournament for her effort during the White Ferns’ campaign in the tournament. After the win, she said, “I’m a little bit speechless, to be honest. To get the win considering what we have been through, it’s what dreams are made of,” then added, “I just want to keep getting better; I have never enjoyed bowling so much. It’s always nice to get the big players out; you want to be a big-match player and make a breakthrough.”
New Zealand’s captain Sophie Devine stated, “I started to let myself dream a little bit last night about what it would be like.” She continued, “The results coming into the tournament weren’t great, but we were moving in the right direction.” Devine gave Kerr her flowers as she praised her performances and effort in the tournament.
Scorecard:
New Zealand 158-5 (20 overs): Kerr 43 (38); Mlaba 2-31
South Africa 126-9 (20 overs): Wolvaardt 33 (27); Kerr 3-24, Mair 3-25
New Zealand won by 32 runs.
