New Zealand complete global domination as they add Women’s T20 World Cup glory to golden day of sport

Amelia Kerr stars as White Ferns claim first title shortly after famous Test win for men's side and America’s Cup success for sailors

New Zealand's players celebrate after beating South Africa to win the Women's T20 World Cup at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 20, 2024. AP

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine lifts the Women's T20 World Cup trophy after defeating South Africa. Getty Images

New Zealand's Eden Carson and Georgia Plimmer celebrate after sealing victory over South Africa by 32 runs to win the Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai. Reuters

South Africa opener Tazmin Brits trudges off the field after being dismissed for 17. AFP

New Zealand fielder Georgia Plimmer celebrates after taking a catch to dismiss South Africa's Marizanne Kapp. AFP

Captain Laura Wolvaardt scored 33 off 27 balls for South Africa. Reuters

New Zealand fielder Suzie Bates celebrates after taking the catch to dismiss South Africa's Annerie Dercksen for 10. AFP

New Zealand's Amelia Kerr, center, celebrates with teammates after claiming the wicket of South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt. Kerr finished with figures of 3-24 off her four overs. AP

Amelia Kerr top-scored for New Zealand with 43 off 38 balls helping her team reach 158-5. AFP

South Africa's Nadine de Klerk celebrates with teammates after dismissing New Zealand captain Sophie Devine for six. AFP

New Zealand's Brooke Halliday on her way to 38 off 28 balls. AP

Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa celebrates with teammate Tazmin Brits after taking the wicket of Amelie Kerr. Getty Images

New Zealand opener after being bowled by South Africa's Nonkululeko Mlaba for 32. AP

It wasn’t just a World Cup title. This was global domination from a small nation in the Pacific Ocean.

In the space of around 24 hours, New Zealand claimed one of their greatest Test-match wins, retained the America’s Cup on the seas off Barcelona, then celebrated a glorious world title in Dubai.

Amelie Kerr crowned a tournament of personal triumph by playing the guiding hand as New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs in Dubai Sports City.

Kerr laid the platform for victory with an innings of 43, before then picking up the two key wickets that undermined the Proteas run chase.

She added a third late in the day with the game won, as the New Zealanders were able to celebrate a maiden T20 World Cup title.

If women are still fighting for attention in world sport, some of the sportsmen of New Zealand did their best to steal the limelight again.

First, Team New Zealand beat Britannia Ineos in sailing’s premier event. Then their men’s cricket team claimed a first Test win in India in 36 years, as Tom Latham’s side won in Bengaluru.

So no pressure on the women, then, as they made their bid to claim a first win in a Women’s T20 World Cup final at the third attempt.

Sophie Devine, the New Zealand captain, said at the toss that they had taken inspiration from their male colleagues’ Test win earlier in the day.

Both sides were in fine spirits at that stage. Paul Adams, the former Proteas spinner who is a member of the side’s coaching staff, also doubles as their hype man. He read a poem in their huddle ahead of the game and the South Africans were clearly energised.

They had more reason for cheer when the toss fell in their favour. Laura Wolvaardt opted to bowl first as chasing had suited them so well till this point, although Devine professed herself happy: she would have batted anyway.

The New Zealanders had defended a relatively low total in their semi-final against New Zealand two nights earlier. That, though, had been in Sharjah, where scoring is generally slower and chasing therefore onerous.

South Africa’s motto during this tournament has been the Afrikaans version of “They don’t know what we know”. Whether that relates to what a good total would be to defend in a World Cup final in Dubai, everyone else will have to guess.

Even though 127 had been the average score at the Dubai International Stadium in this tournament, the White Ferns clearly would have wanted to post something more substantial. The centre strip at this ground generally produces the highest scores of any of the wickets on the block, and it looked dry and even.

It was clear from the off that New Zealand’s plan was to just blaze away and see where it took them.

Georgia Plimmer played and missed with aggressive intent at the first two balls she faced in the game, from Marizanne Kapp. She then swiped the third through mid on for four, and laced the fifth for four, just for good measure.

They built steadily to reach 70-2 by the halfway drinks break in their innings. The second delivery straight after felt seminal.

Devine was struck above her back pad while trying to hit away to the leg side. Nadine de Klerk, the bowler, appealed manically, but there was no response from wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta, and Woolvardt appeared unwilling to request a video review.

She was coaxed into doing so, seemingly by Kapp, and it was the right call. Devine, New Zealand’s talisman, went for six.

If that loss was supposed to invigorate the South Africans, then the New Zealanders didn’t get the memo. Between them, Kerr and Brooke Halliday put on 57 for the next wicket in seven overs.

The haste and confidence with which that did so was telling. Despite the heat, despite the stakes, despite the opposition, New Zealand were not going to wilt.

Their eventually tally of 158-5 was not obviously insurmountable, especially given how the South African top order had played against the vaunted Australians on this field three nights earlier. But it was certainly going to be tough in a World Cup final.

Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, the opening pair, started the Proteas pursuit confidently. They were 51 for no loss with a ball left in the seventh over when the latter was caught on the boundary rope.

It was the start of their demise. Kerr dismissed Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch, the two heroes from the Australia win, in the same over. When Kapp was then caught at deep mid wicket by Plimmer off Eden Carson, it felt like all hope was lost for the South Africans.

The slide was steady from then on, until final the victory was ushered in by a vivid fireworks show, as well as the strains of “We Are the Champions” by Queen over the tannoy.

It was a triumph for Dubai, as 21,457 showed up to see the finale of a fine tournament. But, more than anything, it was a triumph for the women in black on a day of glory for New Zealand.