Sharjah: New Zealand are in the Women’s T20 World Cup final. Their first final. That looked like an impossible dream when the Kiwis arrived in the UAE after a 10-match losing streak. From the first match, when they stunned India, the side led by Sophie Devine impressed with clinically fashioned wins. The only Group A loss to Australia seems like an aberration.
Whenever New Zealand ran into trouble, they found ways to win. That trend continued on Friday as well when they faced giantkillers, the West Indies, who slayed England on Tuesday. With only 128 on the board, the Kiwis survived Deandra Dottin’s onslaught and dropped at least five catches in Sharjah before a nervy eight-run win.
“It has not sunk in at all. [I’m] still trying to get my brain back from being fried out there,” New Zealand captain Devine told the broadcaster after the match. “[I’m] really privileged to play in a World Cup final. The last 2-3 overs saved our bacon. The way Izzie (Gaze) batted, we thought 130 would be a competitive total. We knew we were in with a great shout.”
New Zealand will meet South Africa in the Dubai final. The Proteas, who lost the last final to Australia, had stunned the champions on Friday. So, new winners will be crowned on Sunday.
The Kiwis’ semi-final worries were put to rest by Eden Carson (3-29), whose off-spin snared Qiana Joseph, Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle to put the skids under the West Indies. The 2016 winners never got back in the chase as wickets fell frequently in the haste to catch up with the required run-rate.
Spilt chances
West Indian powerhouse Dottin (33 off 22 balls), whose four-wicket haul derailed the Kiwi innings, threatened to take charge with three sixes off pacer Lea Tahuhu, who conceded 23 in the 16th over. But the batter, who benefited from three dropped catches, fell tamely in the next over, and the wind went out of the Caribbean sails. Even two more spilt catches couldn’t alter the result.
Dottin’s medium pace had done most of the damage as West Indies bowled with plenty of discipline after New Zealand opted to bat. The Caribbean side conceded only one extra, a no-ball from Aaliyah Alleyne. Every time the Kiwis threatened to up the ante, the West Indies reeled them back with quick wickets, but Isabella Gaze (20 not out] struck some quick runs in the slog overs.
Openers Suzie Bates (26 off 28 balls) and Georgia Plimmer (33 off 31) added 48 but were not allowed to blaze away in powerplay, which yielded only 32. Brooke Halliday (18 off 9) and Devine (12 off 12) briefly raised the tempo with a brisk 27 runs for the fourth wicket, but Dottin struck twice in the 17th over, and it was left to Gaze to salvage the total. Gaze’s 23-run partnership with Tahuhu mattered in the end.
Brief scores:
New Zealand beat West Indies by eight runs. New Zealand 128/9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26, Isabella Gaze 20 not out; Deandra Dottin 4-22, Aly Fletcher 2-23) beat West Indies 120/8 in 20 overs (Deandra Dottin 33; Eden Carson 3-29, Amelia Kerr 2-14). Player of the Match: Eden Carson.
