Kiwi Women Clinch First T20 World Cup, Defeat South Africa

In the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand made history as Sophie Devine’s team claimed their first-ever T20 World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

New Zealand set a target of 159, and South Africa fell short, scoring 126 for nine wickets in their 20 overs. South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt top-scored with 33.

For New Zealand, Rosemary Mair and Amelia Kerr each took three wickets, while Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, and Brooke Halliday claimed one wicket apiece.

Earlier, South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl. New Zealand posted 158 for five in their 20 overs, with Amelia Kerr scoring 43, Brooke Halliday 38, and Suzie Bates 32.

Amelia Kerr was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. For South Africa, Nonkululeko Mlaba took two wickets, while Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk grabbed one each.

This marked New Zealand’s third appearance in a T20 World Cup final, and after two previous attempts, they finally lifted the coveted trophy.

New Zealand win their first-ever T20 World Cup! 👏

They came into the tournament on a 10-match losing streak in T20Is, and now they’re World Champions! This is truly something special. Special shoutout to @sophdevine77 and Suzie Bates for steering the team through the… pic.twitter.com/QDtrXVx8Cf

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) October 21, 2024