A Dubai date with destiny, 14 years in the making, and after an eternity of waiting since that heart-breaking evening at the Kensington Oval! Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who have lived through it all, will now have their ultimate shot at redemption, and this bubbling, believing band of cricketers will have a chance to go where no New Zealand team has ever gone! Darted in full on middle and off. Fletcher clears her front leg and smears it towards deep mid wicket. Just a single, though, and the celebrations start in the NZ camp. They are thrilled to bits. They have finally put to bed the demons of that semi-final defeat to West Indies in 2016, and have now reached their third Women's T20 World Cup final! Spare a thought for West Indies too. There will be tears of disappointment, of having not made the final, of having come so close yet been so far, but they can hold their head high, knowing that they gave this T20 World Cup a proper rattle!
NZ Women vs WI Women, 2nd Semi-Final at Sharjah, Women's T20 World Cup, Oct 18 2024 - Match Result
9:45pm And....breathe. A semi-final full of ebbs and flows, eventually ending up in New Zealand's favour. We may have more of the same on Sunday in the title clash, or we may not. But what is certain is that there will be a new champion, and Sunday, truth be told, cannot come soon enough. We hope to have your company day after, and we hope you enjoyed our coverage tonight. From Ranjith and myself, it is goodbye, and see you all on Sunday!
Sophie Devine, New Zealand captain: (On making the final) It has not sunk in at all. Still trying to get my brain back from being fried out there. Really privileged to be playing 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. With the ball, taking wickets regularly always helps. But when you have players like Hayley and Deandra (in the opposition), the game is never over. She (Dottin) is a quality player. You can set the field for her but she can just hit it over the top. We put down a couple of chances and had we taken them, it might have been easier. Credit to West Indies. We always knew it was going to be a tough game and huge respect to them. (On Bates bowling the last over) Halliday was supposed to get the ball as well. She (Bates) has been harping on us in training that she has been practicing for this. With just three fielders out, that is pretty clutch and to finish things off, it was cool for Suzie to do it. The thing that makes me proud is the character we have had for the last 12-18 months. Results have not gone our way, we have gotten a fair bit of stick from people on the outside. Really excited about this last match and we have nothing to lose, and that is a great space to be. We will celebrate this tonight, and we gotta win this (tournament) now (smiles). They (South Africa) are an incredible side. Laura leads them from the front, Kapp is one of the best players in the world. 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 (in the final).
Hayley Matthews, West Indies captain: We bowled really well upfront and had them under a good run-rate. Got away a bit towards the end. At the beginning of the day, we would have taken that (score). With the bat, we could not get going early on and that put pressure (on us). We felt they were a few short (on that wicket). We wanted to stay positive but obviously, we never got going. It never really got out of her hands or super out of control and that showed when Deandra smacked a few over mid-wicket. Unfortunately, she got out after that but kudos to her (for her performance with the ball) and she gave us a chance with the bat as well. Disappointing to go out at this stage in the way we did but incredibly proud of the team. As a group, we have come together and exceeded expectations. Disappointed we are going home but we came in with not a lot of expectation of us going far but we proved a lot of people wrong.
Avinash: "Should not forget Gaze's innings, that helped with backend to have a decent total to defend for NZ" -- Bates mentioned it just after the first innings ended and in hindsight, that knock looks even better, given the sheer weight of her runs...
Hypocaust: "That was Suzie Bates' first wicket at a T20 World Cup since 2016." -- And Sudarshanan tells me it was her first time bowling in a T20I since March 2024. No pressure...
Shadow-Shell: "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are having a new champion this year"
Here is what Eden Carson, Player of the Match, has to say in her post-match interview, which, like the other day, ends with a squeal of delight and excitement: A bit emotional but really proud of the girls. When Deandra Dottin was pummelling us (around), the girls believed (that they could get over the line). We really had to defend another low total. Tried to get early wickets against them, and to get early wickets against them really helped us. We saw how they bowled, bowled a bit more back-of-a-length.
9:25pm New Zealand were not supposed to get this far. They were supposed to have so many unanswered questions. But each time a problem was posed, each time a quandary surfaced, they found the answer, and they found the answer in such fashion that it feels they were meant to be here all along.
The sun, in most parts of New Zealand, may just be rising or may have just risen, and their cricket folk will feel this is a new dawn for their women's team. And tonight, they played like a team that believed this is the start of something special.
They only had 128 on the board, yet, they found a way. Kerr, as it is almost always, was the pick of their bowlers, picking up two massive wickets and giving away just 13 runs. Carson, the find of their tournament, bagged three, with Bates, Jonas and Tahuhu also among the wickets. Mair, who finished wicket-less, produced a tidy four-over spell that went for just 16 runs.
And now, to the West Indies. They were right in it. They were right in it when the World Boss was dominating like only she can. But unfortunately for them, on the big day, there was no one to support Dottin and that proved critical in the end, especially with an asking rate that was climbing all the time. They will feel gutted but once the dust has settled, they will be aware of what they have achieved, and they will be much richer for this experience in years to come.
Bates holds her nerve! Fired in on a length on off. Fletcher walks across, trying to access the region behind square but is unable to do so. Jams into her pads
Does Fletcher have something up her sleeve?
full just outside leg. Munisar advances and cloths it terribly. Loops up over Bates' head and then plugs in the outfield. Just a single
Munisar strides out. 11 runs and a miracle needed for West Indies to win
leg stump pegged back, and Bates roars in delight! Tahuhu comes racing over to embrace her, and NZ feel they are almost there now! Full, flat, you-miss-I-hit stuff from Bates. Slants into leg stump and that takes it inside James' arc. She only swats away a few flies and sees her leg stump knocked back. A stirring cameo, but now, someone else will have to take WI past the finish line!
11 off 4 now
zipped in full on leg stump. James looks for the sweep but is late into the stroke. The ball thuds into the pads and that is a vital dot for NZ
through the gap and into the fence! Oh Zaida James, she is playing a special, special cameo! Right in the slot outside off. James rocks forward and then crrrrrrunnnnchesssss it between extra cover and cover!
Around the wicket for her off-spin
It has come down to this. 15 needed off the last over, which NZ will have to bowl with just three fielders outside the ring because the over-rate penalty has been imposed. What drama. Can WI capitalize? And oh my word. Bates has the ball. No, this is not a drill. Bates has been called upon to bowl the last over. Interesting call. She has not bowled at all this tournament, and now, she has to send NZ through to the final
shortish outside off. Fletcher goes deep into her crease and muschesl it towards deep square leg. Brace to end the over
put down again - oh my days! Back of a length just outside off. James has eyes on the fence but gets too much under it. Chips it straight up and Penfold, on for Plimmer, grasses it at mid off
This has been a sprightly knock by James so far
tossed up full outside off. James plants her front foot and slices it over extra cover for a couple of runs
flighted up on off. Fletcher skips down the track and drills it towards extra cover. James has to scramble to complete the run but does so in the end
good save at short third! Length outside off. James has an almighty waft at it and gets a thick outside edge that is stopped by a diving Jonas
into the blockhole outside off. Fletcher comes down the track and digs it out towards long off
Carson to bowl
23 off 12. NZ well and truly favourites, but crazier things have happened in this sport in knockout matches, featuring West Indies...
back of a length outside off. James sits deep in her crease and throws everything she has at it. Slices it a mile up and it just evades extra cover. She is quick enough to tear back for two
James finds the fence, and that brings the equation down somewhat! Half-tracker outside leg. James uses the depth of the crease and bludgeons it past deep backward square leg!
slowed up on a length outside off. Fletcher looks to go inside out but is too early into the stroke. Chunks it off the inside half of the bat towards long on
short ball down leg. James shapes for the pull, swings at it and misses. Gaze cannot gather either, and WI get two extras
James to try her luck now
Nik: "That win probability see-sawed in those last 9 balls - 90 to 50 to 90 " -- That sums up the Dottin effect....
stumps shattered again, and now Nation bites the dust! Darted in full on middle and off. Nation has a wild yahoo across the line and forgets the watch the ball closely enough. The ball thunders into the stumps and West Indies are flat-lining here!
Nation is zero off four
fired in full and wide outside off, after seeing Nation advance. She jams down on it and clinks it back to the bowler
32 off 17
full outside off. Fletcher comes down the track and drags it towards deep mid wicket
Jonas to bowl out
dropped by Halliday! Looped up full and wide outside off. Nation goes after it and slices it. The ball arrows towards Halliday at cover point, who dives forward but cannot quite cling on
1W | ||||
2W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium | |
| Toss | New Zealand Women, elected to bat first |
| Series | |
| Season | 2024/25 |
| Player Of The Match | |
| Series result | New Zealand Women advanced |
| Match number | WT20I no. 2097 |
| Match days | 18 October 2024 - night (20-over match) |
| WI-W Player Replacement | Concussion sub: in, out (2nd innings, 13.1 ov) |
| Umpires | |
| TV Umpire | |
| Reserve Umpire | |
| Match Referee | |
Over 20 • WI-W 120/8
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