South Africa will take on New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai after the three pre-tournament favourites were knocked out of the competition early.
Australia travelled to Dubai as the number one ranked T20 side in the world and favourites to lift a fourth successive trophy, but were knocked out by South Africa in the semi-finals.
England and India both faltered at the group stage and never reached the knockouts, ensuring that the final will be the first white-ball women’s final without Australia or England being involved.
Six-time winners Australia suffered a shock loss to South Africa, who won by eight wickets, chasing down 135 with 16 balls to spare. New Zealand, meanwhile, defeated the West Indies by nine runs in a tense and close semi-final to set up today’s showpiece.
Follow all the live action in the blog below:
South Africa win the toss and choose to bowl first in the T20 World Cup final
The final starts at 3pm BST
South Africa XI: Wolvaardt, Brits, Bosch, Kapp, Luus, Tryon, Dercksen, de Klerk, Jafta, Mlaba, Khaka
New Zealand XI: Bates, Plimmer, Kerr, Devine, Halliday, Green, Gaze, Mair, Tahuhu, Carson, Jonas
Wicket! Plimmer out for 9! New Zealand 16-1 [1.5]
Wicket! Bates out for 32! New Zealand 57-2 [7.3]
15:41 , Sonia Twigg
Kapp comes back to bowl the ninth over. Kerr manages to tuck the ball away for a single.
The run rate has slowed slightly since the wicket, but Devine is an experienced batter.
Devine is off the mark with a single. Kapp takes the pace off the ball which glances off the hip of Kerr and away for another single.
Another pace off delivery that dies before it reaches the keeper and goes past the outside edge of Devine.
15:36 , Sonia Twigg
Bates turns the first ball of Mlaba’s second over to deep square leg for a single.
Mlaba tries to react but fires one down leg side.
Kerr sweeps fine but the ball can’t quite evade the fielder and is well-stopped on the boundary by Kapp.
Mlaba has a breakthrough! It’s the big wicket of Suzie Bates! She goes too far across her crease to try and access the leg side and misses the ball which crashes into the stumps.
Another wide from Mlaba, and three from the over.
15:30 , Sonia Twigg
Bates switches it up with a reverse paddle and picks up a single to Tryon.
They can’t seem to find the boundary off Tryon, but can keep manoeuvring the ball around for singles.
15:26 , Sonia Twigg
The switch to spin has stemmed the flow of runs, and Mlaba who has been prolific in this tournament comes into the attack.
Bates manages to secure two off the opening ball of the over. New Zealand have another scare, the ball catches the edge of Bates’ bat and just drops short of the fielder.
Bates sweeps and perfectly picks out the boundary on the leg side. She follows it up with another straighter one straight to the fielder in the deep at midwicket.
15:23 , Sonia Twigg
South Africa switch to the spin of Tryon after the batters seemed to relish the chance to be aggressive against the seamers.
Bates almost found herself stranded, but the throw into Jafta was not perfect and allowed her to get back into her crease.
15:19 , Sonia Twigg
Bates tucks the first delivery of Khaka’s second over into the leg side for a single. The wicketkeeper has come up, but Kerr just tucks it around the corner for another couple.
She does it again, and the fielder fumbles allowing for a single to turn into two.
Bates powers another boundary to finish off the over, past mid on.
15:15 , Sonia Twigg
Kapp will return for her second, and Bates is keen to come down the wicket straight away, there was a chance of a run out at the non-strikers, but Kerr would have been safe even with a direct hit.
Bates was close to being caught but she has found the gap on the off side between point and cover and adds another couple.
The next delivery is also close, she goes up over the ring on the off side and the ball just bounces out of reach of the fielder, but it has been called a no ball and would not have counted.
Kerr is bowled off the free hit, she edges it onto her pad and back onto the stumps, but it won’t count.
15:11 , Sonia Twigg
The pressure is on, there’s a fumble on the boundary and New Zealand have another boundary, with Bates scoring her first four off Khaka.
She flicks another one off the pads for a single.
Plimmer goes for another one, hits down the ground but straight into the hands of long on! South Africa have a breakthrough! Caught by Sune Luus.
Kerr is on the charge, hits her first ball to the leg side boundary.
15:05 , Sonia Twigg
The first ball is wide outside off stump and Bates is off the mark with a single down towards deep backward point.
Kapp has confused Plimmer with a wobble seam delivery that she swishes at but can’t get near, the next one however she launches over midwicket and brings the first boundary of the Kiwi innings.
And another short ball has been pulled to the boundary, that is a great start from the batters.
15:01 , Sonia Twigg
Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer are at the crease, and Marizanne Kapp has ball in hand.
14:58 , Sonia Twigg
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine: “We were going to have a bat anyway so it has worked out well for both teams. It looks like a great surface and we are ready to get out there and put some runs on the board.”
“Obviously, there is more importance on this game, there is always more media attention with a final but we embrace those changes. It is a privilege to be here so we are just soaking it all in.”
“Tom and the New Zealand men’s team did so well out in India so we are taking that as our motivation and we are going to show what we are capable of doing.”
14:55 , Sonia Twigg
The flags are out and it’s almost time for the anthems.
Here are the teams:
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Suné Luus, Chloe Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.
New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr, Sophie Devine (c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze (wk), Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas.
14:50 , Sonia Twigg
For the second World Cup in a row, England have been knocked out by a team that is, in theory, a weaker opponent. For it to happen once is a misfortune, for it to happen twice looks like carelessness.
Combine this with the 2022 Commonwealth Games semi-final defeat to India when a match that was in their grasp was let slip, and in each of the last three T20 competitions that England have played they have crumbled in the face of pressure.
This isn’t being wise after the fact. Ahead of the tournament, head coach Jon Lewis said the biggest thing that came out of last year’s World Cup defeat to South Africa was that the team were “still working on dealing with pressure moments”.
England Women’s latest failure raises key question as Ashes loom
14:40 , Sonia Twigg
Anneke Bosch smashed a superb unbeaten 74 as South Africa powered past defending champions Australia with an eight-wicket victory to reach the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Despite opener Beth Mooney making 44, Australia’s total of 134 for five on what looked a slow Dubai pitch always appeared within reach as South Africa sought to make amends for defeat in the 2023 final on home soil to the same opponents.
Tazmin Brits fell for 15 in the powerplay but Bosch and Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt, who chalked up a swift 42 including a huge six over deep midwicket, soon took the game away from Australia, winners of six of the eight previous editions of this tournament.
Bosch led the charge as she crashed eight boundaries in her fine 48-ball innings to help steer South Africa towards a memorable victory with 16 balls to spare. Annabel Sutherland picked up the two wickets.
South Africa crush favourites Australia to reach T20 World Cup final
14:35 , Sonia Twigg
South Africa have won the toss and chosen to bowl…
14:32 , Sonia Twigg
The toss will take place shortly.
14:15 , Sonia Twigg
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage on the channel from 2.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go.
14:00 , Sonia Twigg
The final of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday 20 October. It is due to start at 3pm BST.
13:45 , Sonia Twigg
South Africa take on New Zealand in the final of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.
A thrilling tournament has proved unpredictable at virtually every turn with all three of the sport’s powerhouses failing to make this decider.
Both India and England failed to make it through the group stages before Australia, champions of the last three editions of this event, fell to a shock semi-final defeat against South Africa.
Runners-up last time, Laura Wolvaardt’s side will be looking to go one better as they face a New Zealand side that edged out the West Indies in the second semi-final.
Friday 18 October 2024 15:01 , Sonia Twigg
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Women’s T20 World Cup final.
The tournament had been originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was moved on the eve of the tournament to the United Arab Emirates and all the matches have been split between Dubai and Sharjah.
The pre-tournament favourites Australia were knocked out in the semi-finals by South Africa.
