New Zealand-W carve history riding high on the back of ‘three grandmas’ in Dubai

An eternity of wait met its conclusion as New Zealand secured their maiden T20 World Cup after knocking on the doors repetitively. In a staggering clash with South Africa for the crown, the White Ferns showed intent right from the start and backed it up with a solid bowling performance to lift the hallowed silverware.

Winning the toss, South Africa decided to bowl first. Despite the young Georgia Plimmer (9) failing to leave a lasting mark, Suzie Bates (32) and Amelia Kerr (43) staged a solid turnaround. The experienced duo totted up 37 runs for the second wicket before Nonkululeko Mlaba got the better of the former.

The New Zealand skipper, Sophie Devine (6) departed without troubling the scorers much, reducing New Zealand to 70/3. Brooke Halliday’s arrival in the center calmed the frayed nerves and soon the White Ferns were blasting out on the fifth gear. Halliday and Kerr’s breezy blast allowed New Zealand to tot up 158/5 at the end of 20 overs.

Sophie Devine who captained New Zealand pointed out how three of their senior-most players took up the charge for the White Ferns at the biggest stage of all. Earlier Devine had addressed Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu and herself as three grandmas who were at a dream for almost an eternity. When the occasion came knocking, it was experience that shined bright for Devine and company in Dubai to propel them to the ultimate glory.

South Africa got off to a blistering start as Laura Wolvaardt (33) and Tazmin Brits (17) found their scoring bats right at the top. With 51 already from 7 overs, the Proteas looked in great nick until Fran Jonas struck Brits. The fall of Brits opened up the floodgates and the Whiter Ferns didn’t need a second invitation to storm through.

Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair teamed up in perfect harmony to register six wickets between them while they had help from Eden Carson, Fran Jonas and Brooke Halliday who claimed a wicket apiece to carve history for New Zealand as they lifted their first Women’s T20 World Cup. Amelia Kerr bagged the Player of the Match award and also secured the Player of the Series for her all-round brilliance of 135 runs and 15 wickets.

After the triumph at the biggest stage of all, Devine was emotional as she underscored the long wait that all the players had to go through to achieve the Holy Grail. More importantly, she said that the last 24 months tested the White Ferns until the very core. And yet here they were standing tall, braving a vertiginous mountain of challenges to lift the ultimate prize.