October 22, 2024

New Zealand and South Africa Aim to Make History

Suzie Bates usually avoids watching her bowling highlights because she thinks she looks “hideous.” However, she made an exception on Saturday to relive the thrilling moments of New Zealand’s nail-biting last-over victory in Sharjah, which secured their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup final for the first time in nearly 15 years. Chloe Tryon, who helped eliminate the dominant Australian team, shared that the excitement was still palpable, as they tried to grasp the significance of the win. Both New Zealand and South Africa understand the pain of missing out on a home World Cup, making their unexpected journey to the final in Dubai all the more remarkable.

With Australia’s dream of a fourth consecutive title now ended, a new T20 champion is set to emerge. For both teams, this opportunity represents more than just a chance to win a trophy; it validates their commitment to the often-cited principle of “processes” in cricket. Before the tournament, New Zealand (with a win-loss ratio of 0.312) and South Africa (0.636) had among the lowest ratios of the ten teams in the World Cup cycle. Despite facing criticism for their previous performances, neither team lost faith in their approach, proving that perseverance can lead to success.

New Zealand entered the World Cup with a disheartening record of ten consecutive losses, leading many to dismiss their chances before they even arrived in the UAE. However, they turned the tables by defeating one of the tournament favorites, India, in their opening match, thanks to a well-thought-out year-long strategy. This victory all but guaranteed their advancement to the knockout stage, where they then overcame the team that had previously eliminated them from the semifinals in the West Indies.

For players like Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who have participated in all nine T20 World Cups and finished as runners-up in the first two, this journey has been particularly challenging. With time running out, they are determined to reclaim their place among the world’s best.

Journey to the Final: Reflections from Bates and Tryon

“Ever since 2009, as a cricketer, when you play a team sport, your ultimate goal is to be a world champion. So, I think it’s been all those tournaments that have motivated me and I know Sophie as well, and some of the younger girls – fortunately or unfortunately – don’t have that extra motivation. But yeah, it feels like it’s just all built to this moment and we get one more opportunity tomorrow to have a good dig. I think that’s the most overwhelming thing about it. It has felt like a really long journey to get back to this point,” Bates said on Saturday (October 19).

South Africa also faced a tough setback when they faltered in a chase against Australia in front of a passionate, packed Newlands crowd last year. However, the progress they have made in the past 18 months under new leadership has been remarkable.

“I think before we’d kind of get a little bit flustered and now there’s a lot more calmness in the group because I feel like the girls have been doing this a long time but I feel like the youngsters as well have soaked that up and are really doing well with that,” Chloe Tryon said ahead of what is South Africa’s second successive final. “I always feel like the team that stays calm the longest will win the game. I feel like we kind of got flustered – and we do get flustered at times – but I feel like throughout this tournament we’ve been very calm and very clear on how we want to do things and I think that’s just showing the growth team how well they’re doing together.”

The calmness of South Africa’s approach was evident as they decisively defeated the Australian attack, avenging their loss from 2023. In critical moments, different players stepped up as match-winners.

The fierce competition in the middle overs showcased the character of both teams, led by captains from vastly different backgrounds in terms of age and experience. South Africa’s success has been driven by their in-form openers and a strengthening middle order, with fast bowlers Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka proving effective, even as spin was expected to dominate. Meanwhile, New Zealand has achieved victory through a blend of contributions from both young and seasoned players, all during a time of impending leadership changes.

Three weeks ago, few would have predicted this final matchup. Regardless of which team lifts the trophy and which faces disappointment, the spotlight has never been brighter on the growing divide between teams with ample resources and those struggling against their own circumstances.

Read More: O’Rourke Credits Early Test Success to Lessons from Southee and Henry

Clash of Rivals: New Zealand vs. South Africa in T20 World Cup Final

Head-to-Head: New Zealand and South Africa have never faced each other in a T20 World Cup knockout match before, but New Zealand holds a 3-2 advantage in their group stage encounters. While New Zealand has historically dominated the rivalry with an overall record of 11-4 against South Africa, their recent meetings have been much closer, with the teams tied 3-3 in their last six completed T20 internationals.

When: Sunday, October 20 at 6 PM Local | 7:30 PM IST

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

What to expect: In Dubai, chasing teams have claimed victory in seven out of 11 matches, with four of those wins occurring in the last five games, all of which were played at night. Both West Indies and South Africa chose to field first in their recent matches to secure spots in the semifinals and final, respectively. In contrast, New Zealand has preferred to set a target by scoring runs upfront.

Team News

After a day’s complete rest, South Africa turned an optional session to a full-blown training on the eve of the final. Albeit a fully fit and available squad to pick from, but they might just stick to the same XI that won them the semifinal.

Probable XI: Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka

New Zealand called off their match-eve training having just played their semifinal on Friday. They also have a fully fit and available squad, and could stick to the winning combination.

Probable XI: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (C), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze (wk), Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas

Read more Latest Cricket News

Did you know?

– Sophie Devine is 43 away from reaching 10,000 runs in women’s T20s

– Amelia Kerr needs two more wickets to become the highest wicket-taker in a single edition of T20 World Cups

– Laura Wolvaardt is 45 away from completing 2000 runs for South Africa in women’s T20Is

What they said:

“A lot of fight, a lot of character. If you look at how they’ve played this whole tournament, they haven’t really won a lot of games coming into this World Cup and to turn things around and start on the high like that against India. They showed resilience, a lot of character shown. It’s going to be a good fight on Sunday and we expect that, so we’re really excited for it.” – South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon on what they can expect from New Zealand in the final

“Obviously, we’re the grandmas of the team. And yeah, we’re still standing, I think. Lea [Tahuhu] with her bionic knee, Sophie just having dealt with a lot of stuff as captain over the last few years and me just keeping on going and going. So yeah, it’s just a really special moment when you know there’s been some tough times, and the three of us in particular have been through the ups and downs and to have that moment, and knowing we’d made the semifinals which gives yourself a chance was really special.” – New Zealand allrounder Suzie Bates on what it means to make the final with two of her oldest colleagues.

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