Dubai. On the basis of a partnership of 57 runs in 44 balls for the fourth wicket between experienced Amelia Kerr (43) and Brook Halliday (38), New Zealand scored 158 runs for five wickets against South Africa in the final match of the Women’s T20 World Cup here on Sunday. Make it.
To become champion, South Africa will have to chase the biggest target in the T20 World Cup final. Kerr hit four fours in his 38-ball innings while Halliday hit three fours in his aggressive innings of 28 balls. For the team, Suzie Bates also contributed 32 runs in 31 balls with the help of three fours.
N for South Africa. Mlaba scored two while Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk got one success each.
When invited to bat first, Georgia Plimmer hit two fours against Marizanne Kapp in the opening over but Khaka gave South Africa its first success by ending her nine-run innings in the next over. Amelia Kerr opened her account with a four as soon as she came to the crease, while Bates ended the fourth over with a four against Khaka. He hit the third four of his innings against Mlaba in the sixth over, due to which New Zealand scored 43 runs for one wicket in the power play. Mlaba bowled Bates in the eighth over.
After this, the South African bowlers did not give New Zealand a chance to play big shots but the team ran and stole runs and scored 70 runs in 10 overs. In the next over, De Klerk gave a big success to South Africa by LBW captain Sophie Devine (six).
Brooke Halliday, who came to the crease with Amelia Kerr, also had to face difficulty in taking the ball to the boundary. Halliday ended his 48-ball boundary drought by hitting two consecutive fours against Sune Luus in the 14th over. The team completed 100 runs on the second ball of the 15th over. Along with Halliday, Kerr also hit fours against De Klerk in this over. New Zealand increased its run pace by scoring 25 runs in the last two overs.
Halliday was caught by Anne Bosh near the boundary while trying to play a big shot against Tryon in the 18th over. In the next over, Kerr hit fours on consecutive balls against Mlaba. However, he was caught by Tajmin Britts while trying to play another big shot. Isabelle Gage (12 not out) made an important contribution in taking the team’s score to 158 by hitting a six against Khaka in the last over.