New Zealand beat West Indies by 8 runs: Women’s T20 World Cup – updates

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will have a new winner as New Zealand and South Africa will lock horns in Dubai in just a few days.

We hope you enjoyed our coverage of today’s fascinating encounter, and do make sure to join us for live updates of the final on Sunday.

We’ll also have English Premier League action for you on Saturday as Manchester United entertain Brentford.

On behalf of Kevin Hand, this is Rohan Sharma, signing off.

Victorious New Zealand captain Devine spoke as well: “Hasn’t sunk in at all yet. Still trying to get my brain back from being fried out there. Really privileged to have an opportunity to play in a World Cup final. Our last couple of overs saved our bacon a little bit.

“I felt we were looking a bit under par. Izzy [Isabella Gaze] battled at the end and scraped through a few extra runs. We thought 130 would be a competitive total – not quite par, but the highest chase here was 127. So we knew we were in with a great shout. This wicket here can be tough.

“We saw in our innings it can be difficult to get [the ball] away. But when you’ve got players like Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin in the opposition, the game is never over. She’s [Dottin] a quality player. You can set a field for her, but she just clears it over the top of them.

“It’s about keeping things clear and not being too frazzled. Just having a real clear mind of ‘Did you execute?’ or ‘Did you make the wrong decision of the ball you wanted to bowl?’ So having real clarity on that is important for us. Obviously, we put down a couple of chances. The game might’ve been a little bit easier if we had taken them.”

Losing West Indies skipper Matthews spoke at the post-match presentation: “We bowled really well upfront. Probably just got away [from us] a little bit in the end, but we can’t blame the bowlers. At the beginning of the day, we would’ve taken 128 no doubt.

“We probably just weren’t able to get going early on, and that put us under pressure. We felt they were a few runs short based on the wicket. We just wanted to stay positive, same thing with Qiana Joseph up the order. But we never got going.

“Felt like it never really got out of our hands. Few boundaries [there], and the game was able to change, and that showed when Deandra [Dottin] smacked a few over midwicket. Unfortunately, she got out after that. Kudos to her – she had a great game firstly with the ball and then making sure we had a chance with the bat too.

“It is disappointing for the entire group. I’m incredibly proud of everyone within the team. We saw players that haven’t been on the circuit very much show up at this World Cup, and I think as a group we’ve come together and exceeded expectations. We were able to prove a lot of people wrong.”

We will have a fresh winner of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup come Sunday.

After setting the tone with her 3 for 29, Carson is chosen player of the match.

She had this to say: “A bit emotional but really proud of the girls. When Deandra Dottin was pummelling us, the girls believed [that they could get over the line].

“We really had to defend another low total. Tried to get early wickets against them, and that really helped us.”

After winning by just eight runs, New Zealand are through to the final!

There are plenty of tears from the West Indies players as they head out onto the field to congratulate the finalists.

It was a hard-fought semifinal, but New Zealand had just enough quality to get over the line. Led from the front by Carson’s 3 for 29, the Kiwis can now bask in the glow of a women’s ICC event final.

Munisar advances down the track but ends up not quite connecting as the ball lands at long-off.

The next ball is a dot as well as New Zealand are through to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 final!

Bates spears in a fuller one on the pads with James late on it as she tries to tuck it round the corner.

But Bates delivers on her skipper’s faith, bowling James right through the gate as she looked for the big slog-sweep towards midwicket.

Eleven off 3 balls needed now as Munisar strides out.

She hasn’t bowled at all but is entrusted with the final over by Devine.

James doesn’t mind as she creams a drive through the covers to just beat out the fielder to the rope.

It is now 11 off 5 as the West Indies get a perfect start to the over.

It looks like New Zealand will get their eighth as James hits high up towards mid-off.

The fielder gets under it but drops it at the last moment. The catching standard has been poor from the Kiwis.

The 19th over ends with West Indies 114 for 7. They need 15 off the final over to seal a spot in the final. There is also a fielding penalty for the slow-over rate, which means one less fielder outside the 27-metre (30-yard) circle.

She has been the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 21 so far.

The West Indies pick off two singles from her opening two balls.

James finds the boundary with a swipe towards deep backward square leg, just beating the fielder’s dive to the rope.

Twenty-three off 12 required now.

New Zealand march ever closer to a final spot as Nation is bowled all ends up by Jonas.

James is the new batter as the West Indies stare down the barrel.

New Zealand will back themselves immensely as the equation reads 33 off 18 balls, especially with Dottin out of the picture.

Can the West Indies pull off a miracle here in Sharjah?

This is the contest we were looking for. A belligerent Dottin against the leading wicket-taker Kerr.

And it is Kerr who wins, getting Dottin to sweep high over deep backward square leg, with Jonas taking the straightforward catch.

That could very well be the telling blow as Nation replaces Dottin. She is the concussion sub after Henry was hit in the head in the first innings while fielding.

Dottin sends another lusty blow, this time over deep midwicket, as the West Indies’ fans start to believe again.

She follows it up with a flatter six over cow corner to leave the equation at a gettable 34 off 24.

What an astounding response from the West Indies dynamo! This could very well be the game-changing innings.

It couldn’t come at a better time as she wallops Tahuhu for a 79-metre (86-yard) six over cow corner.

Despite the boundary off the final ball, scoreboard pressure continues to mount on this West Indies’ chase.

It will take something exceptional from Dottin to arrest the current trend.

She gives up just two singles off her first three balls.

The required rate is now over 11 an over.

Carson drops another by the boundary’s edge at deep backward square leg off the final ball from Kerr.

Dottin was the batter on strike, and that would have been quite the wicket for New Zealand. The 14th over ends with the West Indies 65 for 5.