The White Ferns have booked their place in the Twenty20 World Cup final after a nerve-wracking eight-run win over the West Indies in the semifinal at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
New Zealand posted 128-9, with Georgia Plimmer contributing a crucial 33 off 31 balls, while West Indies bowler Deandra Dottin wreaked havoc, taking 4-22. Despite a late surge by Dottin with the bat, hitting 33 off 22 balls, New Zealand held their nerve to seal the win.
Captain Sophie Devine acknowledged the intensity of the match, saying it hadn’t sunk in that her team had made it to the final.
The White Ferns struggled in the latter half of their innings after reaching 65-1, only managing to add 63 more runs while losing eight wickets. However, the bowlers came through, with Eden Carson leading the way, taking 3-29, and Melie Kerr adding 2-14 to stifle the West Indies’ chase.
Dottin looked like a serious threat in the 16th over, hitting three sixes off Lea Tahuhu, but her dismissal in the 17th over swung the momentum back in New Zealand’s favor. The West Indies needed 15 runs in the final over, but Suzie Bates held her nerve with the ball to close out the game. The White Ferns will now face South Africa in the final in Dubai on Sunday, marking their first T20 World Cup final appearance since 2010.
