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New Zealand beat South Africa 159 to win Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup final – live reaction
Key events
19th over: South Africa 121-9 (Mlaba 2, Khaka 1) Just the formalities to go. 38 needed off six balls
WICKET! Jafta b Mair 6 (South Africa 120-9)
A second from the over! Jafta has a huge swing, misses, and the ball alleluias into the top of leg stump.
WICKET! Tryon c Green b Mair 14 (South Africa 117-8)
Tryon has to go for it, leans back, hits big, but not big enough and Green collects, almost down on her haunches at long on.
18th over: South Africa 117-7 (Tryon 14, Jafta 5) Kerr is bowled out – three wickets to go with her 43 runs – player of the match for sure, player of the tournament too? 42 needed in 12 balls
WICKET! Dercksen c Bates b Kerr 10 (South Africa 111-7)
A third wicket for Kerr, a third catch for Bates – prowling at as cover as another fielder ducks and slides out of the way so they don’t collide.
17th over: South Africa 107-6 (Tryon 13, Dercksen 8) Glum faces from South Africa. Dercksen , bright green boots, hauls the ball down the ground. Some cracking fielding by Green stops the boundary, though leaves her sprawled over the rope. 52 needed from 18 balls
16th over: South Africa 100-6 (Tryon 12, Dercksen 2) Halliday the hidden assassin – she so befuddles South Africa with her allsorts, that they can’t get a handle on her. 59 needed in 24 balls
WICKET! Luus c Bates b Halliday 8 (South Africa 97-6)
The captain’s hunch brings a terrible curled up marmite sandwich of a first ball and a wicket with the second! Bates takes a back of the hand catch with joy at extra cover.
15th over: South Africa 96-5 (Tryon 11, Luus 8) Tryon goes straight and big and bold and sends Tahuhu for four. Another big shot but can’t find the rope. A healthy ten from the over but the RR has crept up to more than 12.
14th over: South Africa 86-5 (Tryon 3, Luus 6) Kerr thinks she’s got an lbw, Devine shrugs and goes upstairs – but ball grazes glove and no cigar. New Zealand have no reviews left.
13th over: South Africa 81-5 (Tryon 1, Luus 3) Luus and Tryon are energetic in their dibbing and dabbing – but South Africa need more than that now.
Simon McMahon: “Think South Africa have two chances now, Tanya. Slim, and none, and slim just left town…”
WICKET! de Klerk c Kerr b Mair 6 (South Africa 77-5)
Two in two as Mair comes back on. A super ball, and de Klerk can only muscle an outside edge to Kerr on the edge of the circle.
WICKET! Kapp c Plimmer b Carson 8 (South Africa 77-4)
Kapp swipes to deep midwicket – but Plimmer is waiting – and holds on. A moment caught in time as the camera catches Kapp’s moment of knowing disappointment as Bates roars with joy.
12th over: South Africa 77-4 (de Klerk 6) Grim faces on the South African bench. Gaze is convinced she has got another catch as de Klerk goes to sweep. We go upstairs. Anna Harris is in the third umpire’s room. She calls for ultra edge – we wait…. Plimmer helps Carson stretch out her legs…not out. A clever bit of fielding on the rope comes to naught as Kapp finds the rope from the bounce back. But she falls next ball.
11th over: South Africa 70-3 (Kapp 3, de Klerk 4) The two new batters farm Jonas nicely for six runs, but the run rate is now over nine an over.
WICKET! Bosch c Gaze b Kerr 9 (South Africa 64-3)
The tiniest tickle of cough on the flat line ends Bosch’s World Cup story. Kerr didn’t look so convinced when Devine went for the review – but Gaze had the look of a woman who knows. Two huge wickets in the over, and Kerr, who is moving like a cheap clockwork cracker toy, continues her incredible WC form.
10th over: South Africa 64-3 (Kapp 1)
WICKET! Woolvaardt c Bates b Kerr 33 (South Africa 59-2)
The big one! Woolvaardt decides to go for broke against a limping Kerr, she goes up, but can’t beat the ring of players in the circle and Bates jumps neatly to collect the catch, then roars in celebration.
9th over: South Africa 59-1 (Wolvaardt 33, Bosch 5) In terms of runs scored at this point in the game, the teams are neck and neck. Bosch ignores a bouncer from Tahuhu, looks at the umpire for the signal, but it doesn’t come. Just one from the over- aggressive, accurate stuff from Tahuhu.
8th over: South Africa 58-1 (Wolvaardt 32, Bosch 5) And here is Kerr, who must have recovered enough to bowl. South AFrica don’t try anything too fancy, just milk her for six. A loud lbw appeal agains tBosch, but the umpire says no and would have been umpire’s call.
7th over: South Africa 52-1 (Wolvaardt 30, Bosch 1) Jonas, who starts the over with a couple of dots, with the vital breakthrough – though no time for celebrating yet as the wicket only brings in Bosch.
”As you correctly pointed out this is the first time none of the big three are present for the final, leaving the aspiring big teams a chance for glory.” taps Jeremy Boyce. “Don’t forget Windies in all this, who did a job on England. There’s only room for two in a final though, obviously….” Yes, they were really impressive I thought against New Zealand, particularly in the field. New Zealand – so far – have upped their game in the field since that semi-final.
WICKET! Brits c Green b Jonas 15 (South Africa 51-1)
A cracking pick up and ping from Brits – but it is a big ground, and a long boundary, and Green is waiting. Very well held. New Zealand with the very very very needed breakthrough.
6th over: South Africa 47-0 (Wolvaardt 29, Brits 15) Fireworks are sprayed into the air as Wolvaardt stands and drives – with the power of the mountain – to the mid-on boundary, nearly decapitating her partner at the same time. Win predictor still hedging its bets: 50/50. Now Brits gets in on the act, taking a huge stride and lifting an over pitched ball from Mair for four.
4th over: South Africa 37-0 (Wolvaardt 24, Brits 10) Excellent from Carson, who pulls the initiative back – conceding just three singles from her second over.
3rd over: South Africa 34-0 (Wolvaardt 23, Brits 8) Wolvaardt is the leading scorer in this tournament, with more fours than anyone – and here is another as she picks Tahuhu off her boots and sends her lfying for four. And another! Slammed over deep mid wicket Tahuhu regains control with a final dot ball.
3rd over: South Africa 24-0 (Wolvaardt 14, Brits 7) Jonas with her slingshot action. She drags one down, just spitting distance from the bowling crease, and Wolvaardt tucks in with a flamed backfoot drive. New Zealand struggling to grip the ball in the humidity.
2nd over: South Africa 14-0 (Wolvaardt 7, Brits 4) It’s baby-faced Carson at the other end, who has been so effective this tournament. Starts with two dots but Wolvaardt tucks into the fourth, swivels and punchily pulls her down for four. Amelia Kerr is back on the field but is visibly uncomfortable with cramp and is given another rehydration drink on the rope.
New Zealand need 159 to win
1st over: South Africa 7-0 (Wolvaardt 1, Brits 3) Mair with the new ball – not the best start, three wides winging down the leg side.
Tea turned to coffee in the kitchen. The players are already out, the chase nearly on.
Hello Guy Hornsby! “Well that’s a brilliant innings from New Zealand, Tanya. They seemed to time the reverse bell-curve perfectly with that big start, then accumulating in the middle and really taking down multiple bowlers at the end. 150 felt a great total, so I’m willing to say this feels 10 over par to get. Kerr and Halliday really timed they’re acceleration well and they took surprisingly lot of runs off Khaka. This should be fascinating, because while South Africa have the firepower, NZ have a strong spin attack. Game very much on!”
I fancy it is too many as well – but South Africa have pulled more than a few surprises in recent years… and Wolvaardt and Brits have runs in their souls.
Time to grab a very quick cup of tea. Advantage New Zealand I think. Hello there Tim Hare!
”Following your coverage from Brittany. What an amazing weekend for NZ- America’s Cup, Test win in India, Silver Ferns hosing the Aussies in Wellington and now going very well in the T20 final. Got to love a country that punches so far above its weight in so many sports.”
Agreed. This one of many things to love New Zealand for.
New Zealand 158-5 – South Africa will need a record total in a T20 women’s final to win!
20th over: New Zealand 158-5 ( Green 12, Gaze 3) What a fabulous final flourish – 16 from the last over including an beautifully struck up and over six by Green when Khaka misses her yorker, which flies over the rope at midwicket. South Africa huddle on the pitch, but no side has ever chased down that many in a women’s T20 World Cup final.
19th over: New Zealand 142-5 ( Green 1, Gaze 1) Eleven from the penultimate over -but the big prize in Kerr gone.
WICKET! Kerr c Brits b Mlaba 43 (New Zealand 141-5)
Kerr tips her head back in dismay – but she’d already farmed ten from Mlaba’s first four balls. A nice catch from Brits low down, almost slipping, hunting at deep midwicket.
18th over: New Zealand 131-34(Kerr 33, Green 1) Can New Zealand keep the momentum now Halliday is gone. Can Kerr pick up the pace?
“Hi Tanya.” Hello there Simon McMahon.
Was good to see Alistair Cook and Neetu David, both newly inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, carrying the trophy before the start. Hoping for a close, exciting game, either of these sides would be worthy champions…”
Ah, that’s why he’s there! And agreed – here’s to a thriller.
WICKET! Halliday c Bosch b Tryon 38 (New Zealand 127-4)
A huge roar as Bosch at backward square leg steadies herself and accepts the gift swept up and away by Halliday. The end of a cracking innings that gave New Zealand its momentum back. Tryon is poker-faced – job not nearly yet done.
17th over: New Zealand 125-3 (Kerr 31, Halliday 36) Kapp is back, but starts with a no ball – uncharacteristically undisciplined. There have been a few extras in this innings. Kapp nearly has Halliday with a low full toss that evades her bat but skips (inexplicably) past the stumps. Kapp finishes with 0-25 from her four overs.
16th over: New Zealand 117-3 (Kerr 29, Halliday 31) A drop! Not easy, as Kerr slams the ball straight back to the bowler and Khaka instinctively reaches for it but can’t hold on. To add to their woes, South Africa are four minutes behind the clock.
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