NZ Overcome Dottin's All-Round Heroics to Reach Third World Cup Final

In a thrilling semi-final clash, the pivotal moment came down to a face-off between Amelia Kerr and Deandra Dottin. Kerr, the tournament's top wicket-taker, faced off against Dottin, who holds the record for the most sixes in Women’s T20 World Cup history. Dottin was in sensational form, having just smashed three enormous sixes off Lea Tahuhu in the preceding over, giving the West Indies hope as they pursued a target of 128 runs from a precarious position. However, the match took a dramatic turn in the 17th over.

As Dottin prepared to unleash another powerful sweep against Kerr—who had narrowly missed dismissing her earlier due to a dropped catch—the significance of the moment was palpable. When Dottin's top-edge landed safely in Fran Jonas’s hands at short fine leg, New Zealand knew they were inching closer to the final. Ultimately, they secured a hard-fought eight-run victory, avenging their 2016 semi-final loss and earning a spot alongside South Africa in the 2024 final.

Ironically, it was Kerr who claimed Dottin's wicket, marking her first of four scalps on a night when the West Indies’ seventh bowler had helped restrict New Zealand to a modest total of 128 for 9 on what was a decent batting surface.

New Zealand won the toss, with Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer starting strong, accumulating 48 runs in just over eight overs. However, their momentum waned dramatically after the PowerPlay. Bates was dismissed for 26 runs, while Plimmer's fluent innings of 33 came to a halt. In between their dismissals, Dottin claimed the wicket of Kerr, caught at mid-off.

Coming in from the opposite end, Dottin struck three times in her following two overs, first bowling out Brooke Halliday with a yorker and then dismissing Maddy Green and Rosemary Mair in the next over. New Zealand’s batting faltered severely, scoring just 39 runs between overs 11 to 14, and managing only 35 runs while losing six wickets in the final six overs. Isabella Gaze provided a brief respite with a quickfire 20 off 14 balls, helping her side set what initially seemed like a manageable target for the West Indies.

However, the chase for West Indies started off poorly. Eden Carson made an immediate impact, dismissing Qiana Joseph (bowled) and Shemaine Campbelle (caught at cover) early on. At 25 for 2 after six overs, the West Indies were left facing their worst PowerPlay performance of the tournament, necessitating a significant middle-over effort.

Things worsened for the West Indies when Stafanie Taylor was bowled while attempting a slog-sweep, handing Carson her third wicket of the night. With the West Indies needing 88 runs off 67 balls, the pressure on Dottin intensified, especially after Hayley Matthews was caught off a delivery from Lea Tahuhu and Aaliyah Alleyne fell victim to Kerr's clever bowling.

Dottin, however, staged a remarkable comeback in the 16th over, launching three sixes off Tahuhu that soared deep over mid-wicket. Despite this late resurgence, the West Indies had only managed 72 runs in the first 15 overs, leaving them with a daunting task once Dottin was dismissed by Kerr.

As the final over loomed, West Indies needed 15 runs to win, with Suzie Bates entrusted to bowl it. Bates maintained her composure, guiding New Zealand to an eight-run victory and their third T20 World Cup final, marking their first appearance in the final in 14 years. Remarkably, they entered the tournament amid a ten-match losing streak, the longest in their T20I history. Now, they stand on the brink of history, preparing to face South Africa in a final that promises to crown a new champion in Women’s T20 World Cup history.

Match Summary:

• New Zealand: 128/9 (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4-22, Afy Fletcher 2-23)
• West Indies: 120/8 (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17*; Eden Carson 3-29, Amelia Kerr 2-14)
• Result: New Zealand won by 8 runs

With the stage set for an exhilarating final, the world eagerly anticipates who will claim the title as the new champion of Women’s T20 cricket.