New Zealand claimed their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Winning the toss, South Africa elected to bowl first, allowing New Zealand to bat. Openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer started New Zealand’s innings, but Plimmer was dismissed for 9 with the score at 16. Bates scored 32, while Sophie Devine contributed 6 runs. Brooke Halliday added 38 runs, while Amelia Kerr led the scoring with an unbeaten 44.
New Zealand finished their innings at 158/5 in 20 overs, marking the second-highest score in a Women’s T20 World Cup final by a team batting first.
Chasing 159, South Africa began strongly with an opening partnership of 51 runs between Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits. Brits was dismissed for 17, while Wolvaardt scored 33 off 27 balls. Contributions from Anneke Bosch (9) and Marizanne Kapp (8) fell short, as South Africa could only muster 126/9 in their 20 overs.
New Zealand secured their first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup title with this historic victory. Amelia Kerr, who scored 44 runs and performed consistently throughout the tournament, was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament.
