Picture : ICC / X
New Zealand reached their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final in 14 years with an eight-run victory over West Indies in Sharjah.
Deandra Dottin’s four for 22 killed New Zealand’s momentum throughout their batting innings as Georgia Plimmer top scored with 33 to see the White Ferns post 128 for nine.
The Windies never got going as Eden Carson ran through the top order before a late flurry from Dottin gave her side hope.
New Zealand rode the pressure to ensure a new name will be on the trophy as they take on South Africa in the final on Sunday.
Having chosen to bat, New Zealand made a slow start, reaching the end of the fourth over at 16 without loss.
Chinelle Henry had the rare honour of bowling her four overs in a row restricting the White Ferns to 24 from her 24 deliveries before the increasingly reliable Karishma Rahmarack came into the attack.
She lived up to her billing as she dismissed Suzie Bates for 26, tying the veteran in knots to clean bowl her and leave New Zealand at 48 for one.
Plimmer looked to be the aggressor as she hit a six just over the tall Henry who lost the ball in the lights.
The same happened to Henry two balls later but this time she was forced off the field for a concussion assessment.
The disruption rocked New Zealand more than the Windies as Amelia Kerr departed the very next ball for Dottin’s first wicket, with Plimmer stumped five deliveries later to leave the White Ferns at 69 for three at the beginning of the 13th over.
The new partnership of Devine and Brooke Halliday took 12 runs off the last five balls of Afy Fletcher’s over, doing the same off Aaliyah Alleyne to move into a commanding position.
But Dottin again brought the scoring to a halt as she bowled Halliday for 18 and had Maddy Green caught to see the White Ferns slip to 102 for six.
Rosemary Mair was next to depart as Dottin got her fourth and New Zealand lost four wickets for just eight runs with three overs to go.
Izzy Gaze rebuilt well to see New Zealand make it to 128 for nine before Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph began their chase patiently.
Joseph then went big with two fours off Carson, but the young spinner had the final say as Joseph was bowled for 12.
Shemaine Campbelle also fell to Carson to see Windies end the powerplay at 25 for two, seven runs behind where the White Ferns had been at the same stage.
West Indies struggled to kick on with the fit-again Stafanie Taylor becoming Carson’s third wicket as the women in maroon reached 10 overs for only 48.
Captain Hayley Matthews could not hit a Lea Tahuhu delivery cleanly and instead her swipe dropped into the grateful hands of Kerr to leave the chase up to the dangerous Dottin.
But the ‘World Boss’ was initally kept quiet with the bat, as the required run rate rocketed to over nine an over, and had two slices of luck to keep her in the middle.
Dottin was dropped by Mair on nine before the smallest of edges was missed by the White Ferns.
Further dropped catches came in between a stunner from Maddy Green to reduce Windies to 63 for five in the 14th over.
Three mammoth sixes from Dottin were reminders that the West Indies were not out of it but Kerr roared back dismissing the all-rounder for 33 from 22 balls.
Dottin’s departure signalled the end of West Indies chances as they were left needing 15 from the final over as Bates’ first World Cup over in eight years ensured New Zealand’s safe passage into Sunday’s final.
New Zealand v West Indies – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
New Zealand 128/9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4/22, Afy Fletcher 2/23)
West Indies (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17 not out; Eden Carson 3/29, Amelia Kerr 2/14)
Result: New Zealand win by eight runs
