South Africa will take on New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai after the three pre-tournament favourites were knocked out of the competition early.
Australia travelled to Dubai as the number one ranked T20 side in the world and favourites to lift a fourth successive trophy, but were knocked out by South Africa in the semi-finals.
England and India both faltered at the group stage and never reached the knockouts, ensuring that the final will be the first white-ball women’s final without Australia or England being involved.
Six-time winners Australia suffered a shock loss to South Africa, who won by eight wickets, chasing down 135 with 16 balls to spare. New Zealand, meanwhile, defeated the West Indies by nine runs in a tense and close semi-final to set up today’s showpiece.
Follow all the live action in the blog below:
New Zealand 124-3 (17) Kerr 31, Halliday 36, Kapp 0-25 (4)
Kapp will come back on for her last over, this is a big roll of the dice from Wolvaardt.
Halliday just tucks the ball into the leg side for a single, and it’s another back foot no ball!
Halliday fires one through the gap on the off side but Chloe Tryon does well to get round and cut off the boundary.
The batters are starting to look tired out there as they fight for singles and twos.
Kapp goes wicketless in the final.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 16:18
New Zealand 116-3 (16) Kerr 29, Halliday 31, Khaka 1-28 (3)
Halliday hits Khaka back just over her head for a single.
Another one is hit back at her, this time on the full and Khaka has put down the chance. It was hit hard but still a one-handed chance.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 16:13
New Zealand 110-3 (15) Kerr 27, Halliday 26, De Klerk 1-13 (2)
De Klerk comes into the attack and another boundary is only stopped by some good fielding from Brits on the rope.
New Zealand bring up the hundred in the 15th over.
Halliday finds the gap on the off side behind backward point this time and brings up another boundary.
No ball for the back foot touching the tramlines and another free hit, it goes over Luus and brings another four runs to New Zealand’s total.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 16:09
New Zealand 97-3 (14) Kerr 20, Halliday 21, Luus 0-17 (2)
A quick run two starts off Luus’ second over.
Halliday goes down the ground and over the top but can’t quite send it to the boundary.
Halliday has her boundary! It looked for a moment like it might be a six but just dropped inside the rope. It has come on the leg side for the left hander.
She has a second! Nadine de Klerk lets the ball go straight through her and back to back boundaries have relieved the pressure.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 16:05
New Zealand 85-3 (13) Kerr 19, Halliday 10, Mlaba 1-20 (3)
Mlaba is trying to take the sweep shot out, Kerr goes down the ground but again it’s just a single.
The last boundary feels like a very long time ago.
But that pressure has almost been released, Halliday fires one through the gap in the ring but the ball just stops short of the rope.
Halliday fires one up but there’s no one underneath it.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 16:00
New Zealand 79-3 (12) Kerr 17, Halliday 6, Luus 0-5 (1)
Luus will have her first over and she does well to field an attempted drive from Kerr straight off the first ball.
Halliday heaves into the leg side but can’t quite get hold of it.
Halliday tries a reverse sweep, doesn’t quite get hold of it, it’s another two.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 15:57
New Zealand 74-3 (11) Kerr 15, Halliday 3, De Klerk 1-4 (1)
De Klerk comes into the attack after the drinks break. Devine has been hit and De Klerk is the only one to appeal but is so convinced the decision is sent upstairs.
And she was right! Devine has to go for just six! The ball was going to hit and De Klerk celebrates.
There hasn’t been a boundary since the powerplay for the Kiwis now.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 15:54
New Zealand 70-2 (10) Kerr 14, Devine 6, Tryon 0-17 (3)
Devine sweeps fine, manages to get it past the keeper, but it doesn’t have enough on it to reach the boundary off Tryon.
Another wide, and New Zealand won’t complain about these extra runs at all.
Tryon miss-fields off her own bowling and Devine adds another single.
At the half way point, New Zealand are 70-2.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 15:45
New Zealand 62-2 (9) Kerr 12, Devine 1, Kapp 0-17 (3)
Kapp comes back to bowl the ninth over. Kerr manages to tuck the ball away for a single.
The run rate has slowed slightly since the wicket, but Devine is an experienced batter.
Devine is off the mark with a single. Kapp takes the pace off the ball which glances off the hip of Kerr and away for another single.
Another pace off delivery that dies before it reaches the keeper and goes past the outside edge of Devine.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 15:41
Wicket! Bates out for 32! New Zealand 57-2 (8) Kerr 10, Devine 0, Mlaba 1-14 (2)
Bates turns the first ball of Mlaba’s second over to deep square leg for a single.
Mlaba tries to react but fires one down leg side.
Kerr sweeps fine but the ball can’t quite evade the fielder and is well-stopped on the boundary by Kapp.
Mlaba has a breakthrough! It’s the big wicket of Suzie Bates! She goes too far across her crease to try and access the leg side and misses the ball which crashes into the stumps.
Another wide from Mlaba, and three from the over.
Sonia Twigg20 October 2024 15:36