Women's T20 WC: South Africa, New Zealand Eye Maiden Title In Historic Final

Women's T20 WC: South Africa, New Zealand eye maiden title in historic final (Image Source: IANS)

Dubai International Cricket Stadium: The South Africa Women will take on New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 final on Sunday evening at the Dubai International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, with both teams vying for their first-ever World Cup title in the short format.

South Africa go into the final having alternated between wins and losses in their last four T20 International clashes against New Zealand, but they hold the upper hand, winning their most recent contest by 11 runs in October last year. Furthermore, the Proteas Women have enjoyed significant success in recent ICC Women's T20 World Cup encounters with the White Ferns, winning two of their last three meetings, including a commanding 65-run victory in Paarl during last year’s tournament held on home soil.

The Proteas will be playing in their second consecutive ICC Women's T20 World Cup final, joining the ranks of Australia, New Zealand, and England as teams that have reached back-to-back finals. In the semifinal against the Aussies, South Africa's Anneke Bosch was the star with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 74 at a strike rate of 154.2, an innings that ranks among the best in the history of knockout matches in the competition.

The Proteas Women all-rounder Chloe Tryon shared insights on the team’s mindset ahead of this monumental clash in the pre-final press conference. “It’s nice to be in another final. It’s always been our goal, and it feels really exciting for the team. We’ve been working hard to get here, and we just want to play our best cricket on Sunday,” she said.

Having suffered a painful defeat in the 2023 final at Newlands, Tryon acknowledged the emotional toll but emphasized how the team has grown since then. “That loss was tough to swallow, but we’ve reflected and learned a lot. We’re calmer now and know our roles better. We’ve been gelling really well, and I feel like the way we’ve been playing—calm, confident, and together—has been key.”

On the challenge posed by New Zealand, Tryon expects a fierce contest. “They’ve shown a lot of resilience, especially turning things around in this tournament. We know it’s going to be a tough fight, but we’re excited for it.” Tryon also highlighted the significance of Bosch’s semifinal heroics, praising her mental strength and ability to perform under pressure. “She had been struggling a bit before, but to come out in a big game like that and show so much character was fantastic. We all fed off that energy, and it’s exactly what we need going into the final.”

With senior players like Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka leading the bowling attack, the Proteas have been clinical in applying pressure and closing out key moments.

“As a bowling unit, we’ve been happy with how we’ve played, (particularly in the semi-final against Australia). We stayed nice and calm, bowled well in partnerships, which set us up for closing out the innings, which was crucial,” Tryon said.

With senior players like Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka leading the bowling attack, the Proteas have been clinical in applying pressure and closing out key moments.

Article Source: IANS