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Women's T20 World Cup, Sharjah
New Zealand 128-9 (20 overs): Plimmer 33 (31); Dottin 4-22
West Indies 120-8 (20 overs): Dottin 33 (22); Carson 3-29
New Zealand won by 8 runs
The Women's T20 World Cup is guaranteed a first-time victor arsenic New Zealand bushed West Indies by 8 runs to articulation South Africa successful Sunday's final.
West Indies slipped to 63-5 successful pursuit of 129 connected Sharjah's dilatory pitch, earlier Deandra Dottin's dynamic 33 from 22 balls, with 3 sixes, rejuvenated the chase.
But Melie Kerr struck the important stroke successful the 17th implicit to person Dottin caught astatine abbreviated good limb which all-but sealed the White Ferns' victory.
The experienced Suzie Bates was tasked with defending 14 disconnected the last over, having not bowled each tournament, but held her nervus arsenic West Indies finished connected 120-8.
Kerr finished with 2-14 and Eden Carson 3-29 to forestall West Indies from reaching their 2nd final, which volition beryllium contested astatine the much batter-friendly Dubai.
In opposition to their explosive innings against England connected Tuesday, West Indies struggled for fluency with opener Qiana Joseph falling for 12, skipper Hayley Matthews stuttering to 15 from 21 balls and seasoned Stafanie Taylor lone managing 13.
Dottin was dropped 3 times arsenic she tried successful vain to drawback up with the run-rate with her accustomed aggression, but it proved beyond adjacent her scope arsenic West Indies paid the terms for a pedestrian commencement which included a powerplay people of conscionable 25-2.
The all-rounder, who reversed her retirement to play successful this tournament, earlier took 4-22 arsenic New Zealand besides could not people freely connected the tricky surface.
Therefore the flip proved pivotal arsenic Sophie Devine opted to bat first, with Georgia Plimmer's 33 from 31 balls the apical people portion Brooke Halliday's nine-ball 18 provided immoderate much-needed impetus aft the cautious commencement to the innings.
Regular wickets had heaped the unit connected the mediate order, with Melie Kerr, Maddy Green and Rosemary Mair departing for single-figure scores to Dottin but Izzy Gaze's 20 not retired provided a precocious flurry for New Zealand to scope their eventual match-winning total.
It is New Zealand's archetypal World Cup last quality since 2010, erstwhile they were beaten by Australia.
South Africa were beaten finalists by Australia successful past year's last successful Cape Town.
In a World Cup afloat of surprises, including neither England oregon India making it retired of the radical signifier and Australia falling abbreviated successful their semi-final, New Zealand's spot successful the last is arguably the biggest daze of all.
They were placed successful what was considered the tougher radical with India and Australia, and had mislaid their 10 erstwhile T20s successful the build-up to the tournament.
But, 8 of those coming against England and defending champions Australia seems to person worked successful their favour due to the fact that they had been enactment nether plentifulness of unit and tested significantly. It means they tin grip the crunch moments erstwhile they come.
The wide feeling was that 128-9 was below-par against West Indies, with their batters attempting to accelerate but some the transportation and the close bowling did not let a free-flowing benignant of play.
With the payment of knowing the surface's information erstwhile it came to defence, their spinners twirled distant relentlessly with Kerr continuing her awesome tournament, taking her tally to 12 and to the apical of the wicket-taking charts truthful far.
Carson ensured their cleanable start, bowling the one-dimensional Joseph, who swiped crossed the line, Shemaine Campbell past chipped to Bates astatine screen for 3 earlier Taylor, struggling with a sore knee, missed a sweep.
When Matthews fell to Lea Tahuhu successful the 11th implicit to permission West Indies 51-4, their hopes laic solely connected Dottin's shoulders and she seemed afloat prepared to judge the responsibility, clubbing 23 from Tahuhu successful the 16th over.
But Kerr and Bates, who truthful often transportation New Zealand alongside Devine, handled the unit expertly to adjacent retired the triumph contempt the archetypal shot of the last implicit being beautifully driven for 4 by Zaida James to nonstop a fewer shockwaves done the White Ferns' camp.
Many of the players could not clasp successful their tears of joyousness astatine the last ball, arsenic they instrumentality 1 measurement person to past against each odds.
West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews: "It is disappointing for the full radical to spell retired present successful the mode we did, but I'm incredibly proud.
“We saw players who we haven't seen connected the circuit overmuch truly travel to the forefront successful this tourney and we've exceeded expectations."
Player of the match, New Zealand’s Eden Carson: "When Deandra Dottin was pumping america each implicit the spot I thought 'oh no'! But we stuck together, knew we could get it done and we got implicit the enactment successful the end.
"We had to support different below-par full but getting aboriginal wickets against a broadside similar West Indies, who we cognize are unsafe aft what they did against England, truly helped us."
New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine: “It hasn't sunk successful yet, I’m inactive trying to get my encephalon backmost aft being a spot fried retired there!
"I americium arrogant of the resilience and quality of the squad implicit the past 12-18 months. Results haven’t gone our mode but the content has ever been there.
“We are truly excited astir the final. We person thing to lose. We are going to triumph this happening now."
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