ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: New Zealand’s Journey to Winning

By: Vision11 | October 24, 2024 | Leave a Comment

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, hosted in Dubai, was a thrilling spectacle that brought together the best of women’s cricket from around the globe. Held from October 3 to October 20, 2024, this edition featured ten teams, including heavyweights like Australia, India, and the South Africa. The tournament format involved a group stage followed by knockout rounds, with intense contest setting the stage for a memorable finale.

This one was about resilience and transformation for New Zealand. That they went on to win the match and their first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup after an arduous lead-up suggested that maybe writing them off had been a bit hasty.

Overview of the Tournament

The organizers held the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 at several iconic venues in Dubai, including the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with teams like Australia, England, India, South Africa, and New Zealand expected to be the favorites. There were two groups, in which the teams played one round robin each before they would qualify for 2 sets of knock out stages.

Participating Teams:

Australia
England
South Africa
New Zealand
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Bangladesh
Scotland

New Zealand and South Africa, two teams that had long sought to leave a lasting mark on women’s T20 cricket, emerged as the standout performers, defying expectations and overcoming stiff contest to reach the final.

The Road to the Finals

In many ways, New Zealand’s progress to the final was anything but smooth and filled with peaks and troughs. Following a depressing run that consisted of ten consecutive losses, questions surrounded their ability. But under the inspirational leadership of Sophie Devine, they turned their season around in breathtaking style.

Group Stage Performances

The ICC placed New Zealand in Group A alongside defending champions Australia, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Their tournament began with a highs-takes match against India at the Dubai International Stadium, which set the tone for their campaign. Batting first, New Zealand had something to boast with their top-order batting. They marshaled 160, thus making it a pretty competitive score. Then the bowlers limited India to a mere 102 and won the match comfortably by 58 runs.

The second game was a test against Australia. They were capable of chasing an abysmal 149 and lost by a massive margin. However, they returned to form in style against Sri Lanka when the bowled them out for 115 before chasing down their target with eight wickets remaining.

The final group match against Pakistan was crucial, especially with the points table so close. The Kiwis opened the batting first and could only post 110 runs, but had been magnificent with the ball knocking Pakistan over for just 56runs in a fluent performance that would send them through comfortably.

Semi-Final Performances

This time New Zealand had to play the second semifinal against West Indies who were former champions It was reminiscent of their semifinal defeat to the West Indies in 2016, against which this triumph provided a measure of revenge. New Zealand this time, wrote history for a change.

At Sharjah Cricket Stadium, New Zealand opted to bat first after winning the toss. They posted a total of 128 runs, thanks to disciplined batting despite a strong bowling performance from the West Indies. It was the West Indies’ collapse in front of the New Zealand bowlers, which included particularly Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson who shifted the situation and shut the door of scoring for the West Indies towards a close victory.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Records and Milestones Achieved

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was not just about the teams but also about the records set during the tournament. Key contributions from senior players, including Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, helped lift New Zealand’s batting performance to new heights.

Top Performers of the Tournament

Among those who made the whole tournament worthwhile were the substantial knock-playing players, the glittering stars in the field, and a number of bowlers. Here are some bowlers’ names:

Amelia Kerr Bowling: New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr bowled her way to the top wicket-taker award in the tournament, for 15 wickets. She took crucial three for 24 against South Africa in the final and proved herself to be the founding block of New Zealand’s maiden title.
Suzie Bates Most Capped Player: Suzie Bates goes past the tally of 334 in international cricket matches by playing during the final. She includes 163 ODIs and 171 T20Is.
Laura Wolvaardt: This was topped by South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who scored highest 302 runs in the tournament – her ability of how she batted down the order to stabilize the batting for most parts of the contest.
First Ever Title: New Zealand finally won the Women’s T20 World Cup title as they outplayed South Africa by 32 runs, taking home their first ever title in history, having just entered the tournament with a 10-match losing streak in its wake.

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The New Zealand’s Journey to the Final

The New Zealand team pulled off a remarkable turnaround on their way to the T20 World Cup final. Coming into the tournament under intense scrutiny, the team’s performance reflected their tenacity and determination. New Zealand went on to defeat South Africa first in the final.

Despite the pressure, they managed to post an impressive total of 158 runs for 5 wickets. Amelia Kerr played a good innings, scoring 43 runs, while Brooke Holliday contributed 38 runs to the total. Although New Zealand’s batsmen struggled, they did well in the middle-overs and batted high on bowler-friendly pitches throughout the tournament.

Final Showdown: New Zealand vs South Africa

The final match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 took place on October 20, 2024, and was a thrilling contest. After winning the toss, New Zealand opted to bat first. Suzie Bates scored 32 runs, contributing to a steady innings from the top order. The middle order, led by Kerr and Halliday, ensured that New Zealand reached a competitive total of 158 runs.

The response from South Africa started off well when their openers added 47 runs without losing a single wicket in the power-play. However, the only change that occurred at this stage was when Amelia Kerr bowled well to dismiss the skipper Laura Wolvaardt for 33 runs. This was one wicket that seemed to unleash a collapse in South Africa’s middle order, and Rosemary Mair picked up the last three important wickets as well, closing the innings with figures of 3/25.

Then, South Africa seemed unable to build any momentum at the right end, and at the end of their 20 overs, it was 126/9. New Zealand’s bowlers were excellent, especially Kerr, who dismissed three batsmen for 24 runs.

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Conclusion

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 would turn out to be a turning point for New Zealand cricket, considering this was their very first title in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup. The win is a testament to the strength that there is in the playing body and mastermind strategies of Sophie Devine. They had come from multiple losses to become world champions in one match, epitomizing just how unpredictable cricket can be.

But this victory raises the profile for women’s cricket and inspires further success to motivate generations ahead. They are motivated by such victories and work to make history in future games. New Zealand’s success in the tournament highlights the growing and potential women’s sport, opening more doors to opportunity and recognition.