DUBAI (Reuters) – All-rounder Amelia Kerr starred with bat and ball as New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs to lift their maiden Women’s Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday after runners-up finishes in 2009 and 2010.
South Africa managed only 126/9 in their 20 overs, with captain Laura Wolvaardt top-scoring for the Proteas with 33 runs off 27 balls.
Openers Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits provided a strong start by forming a 51-run partnership before Fran Jonas dismissed Brits in the seventh over.
Despite suffering from cramps after her heroics with the bat, Kerr dismissed Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch in the same over while Rosemary Mair also took three wickets.
Earlier, South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl, striking early as Georgia Plimmer was dismissed for nine in the second over.
Following the early setback, New Zealand went on to post an impressive total of 158 runs – the second-highest in a Women’s T20 World Cup final – scoring 73 runs in the last six overs.
Suzie Bates, playing in a women’s record 334th international match, led the top order with 32 before being bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba in the eighth over.
The White Ferns were under some pressure in the middle overs after losing captain Sophie Devine, but 24-year-old Kerr (43 off 38) and Brooke Halliday (38), added 57 runs to power them to 158.
“I’m a little bit speechless and I’m just so stoked to get the win, considering what this team’s been through and yeah, it’s what dreams are made of,” Kerr said after winning both player-of-the-match as well as the player-of-the-tournament.
New Zealand entered the tournament after 10 consecutive Twenty20 defeats but turned their fortunes around after thrashing India in their opening match and beating West Indies in the semi-finals.
“I started to dream last night about what it feels to hold the trophy with this team, didn’t want to get to ahead of us,” said Devine, who played during New Zealand’s 2010 defeat.
“We all know Kerr is a once in a generation player. What she was able to do tonight was incredible.
“Suze is the most capped player in history of women’s game, to think she can go out and play with such aggression and fearlessness. To have her in our side it is just special.”
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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