Women's T20 World Cup: New Zealand Edges West Indies to Final

Women’s T20 World Cup will crown a first-time champion after New Zealand edged past the West Indies by eight runs to join South Africa in the final. Chasing 129 runs on Sharjah’s slow pitch, the West Indies stumbled to 63-5 before Deandra Dottin’s explosive 33 off 22 balls revived their hopes. However, Melie Kerr delivered a decisive blow in the 17th over, catching Dottin at short fine leg and effectively sealing New Zealand’s victory.

Suzie Bates, who had not bowled in the tournament, defended 14 runs in the final over and held her nerve as the West Indies finished with 120-8. Kerr shone with figures of 2-14 while Eden Carson took 3-29, preventing the West Indies from reaching their second final. The West Indies struggled against the tricky pitch with opener Qiana Joseph scoring only 12 and captain Hayley Matthews managing just 15 runs.

Dottin faced difficulties in keeping up with the run rate, despite the team dropping her three times and the slow start which included a powerplay score of only 25-2 cost them dearly. In contrast, New Zealand’s batting lineup initially faltered but Georgia Plimmer’s 33 runs and Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 20 helped them reach a match-winning total. This marks New Zealand’s first World Cup final appearance since 2010.

In a Women’s T20 World Cup filled with surprises including the early exits of England and India in the group stages, New Zealand’s path to the final emerges as a notable upset. Captain Sophie Devine expressed pride in the team’s resilience and vowed to chase victory in the final, stating, “We have nothing to lose. We are going to win this thing now.”