Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

GE Plimmer
GE Plimmer
33(31) 3x4 - 1x6
Control %54%
  • Productive Shot
  • on drive
  • 11 runs
  • 0x4 - 1x6
1 0 0 0 2 8 12 10
DJS Dottin
33(22) 0x4 - 3x6
Control %76%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 14 runs
  • 0x4 - 1x6
0 0 5 0 2 0 1 25

Best performances - Bowlers

DJS Dottin
O4
M0
R22
W4
Eco5.50
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
2W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
EJ Carson
O4
M0
R29
W3
Eco7.25
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar

END OF OVER:
20 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | WI-W: 120/8 (9 runs required, RR: 6.00)

  • Afy Fletcher17 (15b)
  • Ashmini Munisar1 (1b)
  • Suzie Bates1-0-6-1
  • Eden Carson4-0-29-3

9:45pm And....breathe. A semi-final full of ebbs and flows, eventually ending up in New Zealand's favour. We may have more of the same on Sunday in the title clash, or we may not. But what is certain is that there will be a new champion, and Sunday, truth be told, cannot come soon enough. We hope to have your company day after, and we hope you enjoyed our coverage tonight. From Ranjith and myself, it is goodbye, and see you all on Sunday!

Sophie Devine, New Zealand captain: (On making the final) It has not sunk in at all. Still trying to get my brain back from being fried out there. Really privileged to be playing in a World Cup final. The last 2-3 overs saved our bacon. The way Izzie (Gaze) batted
we thought 130 would be a competitive total. We knew we were in with a great shout. With the ball, taking wickets regularly always helps. But when you have players like Hayley and Deandra (in the opposition), the game is never over. She (Dottin) is a quality player. You can set the field for her but she can just hit it over the top. We put down a couple of chances and had we taken them, it might have been easier. Credit to West Indies. We always knew it was going to be a tough game and huge respect to them. (On Bates bowling the last over) Halliday was supposed to get the ball as well. She (Bates) has been harping on us in training that she has been practicing for this. With just three fielders out, that is pretty clutch and to finish things off, it was cool for Suzie to do it. The thing that makes me proud is the character we have had for the last 12-18 months. Results have not gone our way, we have gotten a fair bit of stick from people on the outside. Really excited about this last match and we have nothing to lose, and that is a great space to be. We will celebrate this tonight, and we gotta win this (tournament) now (smiles). They (South Africa) are an incredible side. Laura leads them from the front, Kapp is one of the best players in the world. Bosch in the game against Australia (was superb)
but we have to focus on ourselves, and hope the cricketing gods are on our side as well (in the final).

Hayley Matthews, West Indies captain: We bowled really well upfront and had them under a good run-rate. Got away a bit towards the end. At the beginning of the day, we would have taken that (score). With the bat, we could not get going early on and that put pressure (on us). We felt they were a few short (on that wicket). We wanted to stay positive but obviously, we never got going. It never really got out of her hands or super out of control and that showed when Deandra smacked a few over mid-wicket. Unfortunately, she got out after that but kudos to her (for her performance with the ball) and she gave us a chance with the bat as well. Disappointing to go out at this stage in the way we did but incredibly proud of the team. As a group, we have come together and exceeded expectations. Disappointed we are going home but we came in with not a lot of expectation of us going far but we proved a lot of people wrong.

Avinash: "Should not forget Gaze's innings, that helped with backend to have a decent total to defend for NZ" -- Bates mentioned it just after the first innings ended and in hindsight, that knock looks even better, given the sheer weight of her runs...

Hypocaust: "That was Suzie Bates' first wicket at a T20 World Cup since 2016." -- And Sudarshanan tells me it was her first time bowling in a T20I since March 2024. No pressure...

Shadow-Shell: "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are having a new champion this year"

Here is what Eden Carson, Player of the Match, has to say in her post-match interview, which, like the other day, ends with a squeal of delight and excitement: A bit emotional but really proud of the girls. When Deandra Dottin was pummelling us (around), the girls believed (that they could get over the line). We really had to defend another low total. Tried to get early wickets against them, and to get early wickets against them really helped us. We saw how they bowled, bowled a bit more back-of-a-length.

9:25pm New Zealand were not supposed to get this far. They were supposed to have so many unanswered questions. But each time a problem was posed, each time a quandary surfaced, they found the answer, and they found the answer in such fashion that it feels they were meant to be here all along.

The sun, in most parts of New Zealand, may just be rising or may have just risen, and their cricket folk will feel this is a new dawn for their women's team. And tonight, they played like a team that believed this is the start of something special.

They only had 128 on the board, yet, they found a way. Kerr, as it is almost always, was the pick of their bowlers, picking up two massive wickets and giving away just 13 runs. Carson, the find of their tournament, bagged three, with Bates, Jonas and Tahuhu also among the wickets. Mair, who finished wicket-less, produced a tidy four-over spell that went for just 16 runs.

And now, to the West Indies. They were right in it. They were right in it when the World Boss was dominating like only she can. But unfortunately for them, on the big day, there was no one to support Dottin and that proved critical in the end, especially with an asking rate that was climbing all the time. They will feel gutted but once the dust has settled, they will be aware of what they have achieved, and they will be much richer for this experience in years to come.

19.6
1
Bates to Fletcher, 1 run, A Dubai date with destiny, 14 years in the making, and after an eternity of waiting since that heart-breaking evening at the Kensington Oval! Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, who have lived through it all, will now have their ultimate shot at redemption, and this bubbling, believing band of cricketers will have a chance to go where no New Zealand team has ever gone! Darted in full on middle and off. Fletcher clears her front leg and smears it towards deep mid wicket. Just a single, though, and the celebrations start in the NZ camp. They are thrilled to bits. They have finally put to bed the demons of that semi-final defeat to West Indies in 2016, and have now reached their third Women's T20 World Cup final! Spare a thought for West Indies too. There will be tears of disappointment, of having not made the final, of having come so close yet been so far, but they can hold their head high, knowing that they gave this T20 World Cup a proper rattle!
19.5
0
Bates to Fletcher, no run, Bates holds her nerve! Fired in on a length on off. Fletcher walks across, trying to access the region behind square but is unable to do so. Jams into her pads

Does Fletcher have something up her sleeve?

19.4
1
Bates to Munisar, 1 run, full just outside leg. Munisar advances and cloths it terribly. Loops up over Bates' head and then plugs in the outfield. Just a single

Munisar strides out. 11 runs and a miracle needed for West Indies to win

19.3
W
Bates to Zaida James, OUT, leg stump pegged back, and Bates roars in delight! Tahuhu comes racing over to embrace her, and NZ feel they are almost there now! Full, flat, you-miss-I-hit stuff from Bates. Slants into leg stump and that takes it inside James' arc. She only swats away a few flies and sees her leg stump knocked back. A stirring cameo, but now, someone else will have to take WI past the finish line!

Zaida James b Bates 14 (10m 8b 2x4 0x6) SR: 175.00

11 off 4 now

19.2
0
Bates to Zaida James, no run, zipped in full on leg stump. James looks for the sweep but is late into the stroke. The ball thuds into the pads and that is a vital dot for NZ
19.1
4
Bates to Zaida James, FOUR, through the gap and into the fence! Oh Zaida James, she is playing a special, special cameo! Right in the slot outside off. James rocks forward and then crrrrrrunnnnchesssss it between extra cover and cover!

Around the wicket for her off-spin

It has come down to this. 15 needed off the last over, which NZ will have to bowl with just three fielders outside the ring because the over-rate penalty has been imposed. What drama. Can WI capitalize? And oh my word. Bates has the ball. No, this is not a drill. Bates has been called upon to bowl the last over. Interesting call. She has not bowled at all this tournament, and now, she has to send NZ through to the final

WI Women 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st16HK MatthewsQ Joseph
2nd4SA CampbelleHK Matthews
3rd21SR TaylorHK Matthews
4th10DJS DottinHK Matthews
5th12DJS DottinAA Alleyne
6th33DJS DottinASS Fletcher
7th1ASS FletcherCN Nation
8th21ASS FletcherZaida James
9th2ASS FletcherA Munisar