Here is Hector’s report directly from Dubai.
The New Zealand women’s cricket team have claimed their first ever T20 World Cup trophy, having beaten South Africa convincingly by 32 runs. The victory for the White Ferns marks the first World Cup silverware for both the women’s and the men’s sides, a feat that caps off a remarkable day for New Zealand sport.
In the space of 24 hours, the New Zealand sailing team coasted to victory in the America’s Cup, comfortably sidestepping the force of INEOS Britannia, the Silver Ferns netball side comprehensively conquered the Australia Diamonds in the Constellation Cup, the men’s Test team recorded a landmark Test Match victory in Bengaluru, and to top it all off the White Ferns are now World Champions – a fantastic day for New Zealand Sports.
New Zealand and South Africa break Big 3 dominance
With all that in mind, backtracking to the 5.30pm GST coin toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, it was anyone’s guess as to who would come out victorious. To be quite frank, the majority of the cricketing world was at a loss for predictions. For the first time since 2016, the Australian team was nowhere to be seen. Eight years of utter dominance, perhaps one of the most successful teams in the history of world sport, vanquished in one fell swoop by a shock semi-final exit, courtesy of South Africa, three days prior. The fact that neither Australia, England, nor India for that matter, had made it to the final stage of this T20 World Cup had completely opened up the match, leaving the cricketing world excited, but unsure – this game could go either way.
Winning the toss for the fifth and final time of the competition, SA skipper, Laura Wolvaardt put New Zealand into bat, a decision that suited both sides’ preferred match formula. Veteran, Suzie Bates, strode out to the middle as the most capped women’s international player in the history of the game, surpassing Indian superstar, Mithali Raj, with 334 matches under her belt. Nurdling the first ball of the match to backward point for a quick single, Bates quickly went about building a partnership with soon-to-be player of the match, and tournament, Melie Kerr. The two looked to attack the pace of Ayabonga Khaka, whilst deconstructing the experience of Marizanne Kapp with the new ball, perfectly setting the tone for the New Zealand innings, endorsed balls before by an intent-filled 9 from 7 off the bat of Georgia Plimmer at the top end of the order. The spin partnership between the two left-armers of Tryon and Mlaba offered Wolvaardt a much-welcomed level of control throughout the middle overs, as the pair, (alongside some aggressive bowling from Nadine de Klerk) accumulated 48 consecutive deliveries without a boundary being scored. By midway through the 14th over, South Africa looked to have a tight grip on the game, spurred on by the prospect of a batting line up in fine form. Yet, the patience of Brooke Halliday paid dividends late in the 14th over, as a remarkable lofted drive over cover, advancing down the track, marked yet another shift in momentum, with New Zealand finding another gear, courtesy of a fantastic partnership of 57 from 43 balls between Halliday and Kerr, topped off by a final over maximum at the hand of out-of-form batter, Maddy Green, propelling the score forward at just under 10 an over (in the final 5) to end on 158/5 – a score that seemed almost 20 runs above par, what with the Dubai wicket historically slowing down in the second innings. Despite some tight bowling from the South African spinners, New Zealand exemplified what some felt had been missing all tournament – to score runs, you have to bat with intent.
White Ferns attack tames Proteas top order power
Head Coach of NZ, Ben Sawyer, would’ve had his hands full alongside the rest of his coaching staff, in preparing for the unpredictable challenge that is bowling to this South African batting lineup. The performance that the Proteas put up with the bat against Australia in the semifinals appeared to be carefree and cutthroat – the carnage enforced by the likes of Anneke Bosch and the skipper is enough to make any team tremble. Yet, from the first ball from Rosemary Mair (who finished with stellar figures of 3-25 from her 4 overs), New Zealand seemed far more at home than SA, in some pretty uncomfortable, hot, and humid conditions. Despite this, Wolvaardt continued to dominate with bat in hand, as she has done so all throughout this tournament, punishing the rare loose delivery with distain, relentlessly exemplifying her endless grit and skill on a wicket that was quickly worsening. A wicketless powerplay raised a few hairs amidst the raucous crowd, yet a clinical bowling display led by Mair and of course, Melie Kerr, saw NZ plunge the knife deeper into the heart of South Africa’s title hopes with each wicket. 51-0 quickly became 97-6, and at last, Eden Carson drifted the final delivery of the tournament outside off stump, narrowly missing the swinging bat of number 10, Mlaba, ending South Africa’s innings on126/9.
New Zealand victorious by 32 runs. A landmark day for the nation capped off by a remarkable display of merciless persistence. One can’t help but feel a sense of joy viewing the celebrations that ensued – the relief shared between the veterans of the team; Devine, Bates, and Tahuhu, combined with the sheer ecstasy of the youngsters of the side in; Carson, Plimmer, and Kerr, accumulated into what appeared to be somewhat disbelief. Remember, New Zealand entered this tournament having lost their last 10 consecutive T20 matches.
Despite being an England fan, I leave Dubai delighted that the Kiwis are, deservedly, taking home World Cup silverware with them, after their Men’s luckless 2019.