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South Africa squared off with New Zealand in the final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 20.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. New Zealand faced an early setback when opener Georgia Plimmer was dismissed for 9 in the second over. However, Suzie Bates (39) and Amelia Kerr (43) steadied the ship, keeping the runs flowing in the middle overs. Brooke Halliday later provided a crucial boost, smashing 38 off just 28 balls to help set a competitive 159-run target.
Nonkululeko Mlaba picked up two wickets for South Africa, while Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk took one each.
In reply, the Proteas got off to a strong start, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt leading the charge, scoring a brisk 33 off 27 balls, including five boundaries. But her efforts weren’t enough as South Africa's batting faltered under pressure. Wickets tumbled at regular intervals, unable to withstand New Zealand's fierce bowling attack.
Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair spearheaded the Kiwi defense, taking three wickets apiece, guiding their team to a 30-run victory in the final over. A solid all-round performance from New Zealand sealed a thrilling win as they were crowned deserving champions.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top run-getters and wicket-takers after the South Africa vs New Zealand match.
Women's T20 World Cup 2024 Most Runs
Laura Wolvaardt emerged as the tournament's top run-scorer, amassing an impressive 223 runs. Her opening partner, Tazmin Brits, closely followed with 187 runs, solidifying their dominance at the top. England's Emma Lamb (151) and India's Harmanpreet Kaur (150) finished third and fourth, respectively.
New Zealand's dynamic duo, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, secured the fifth and sixth spots, both tallying 150 runs. Australia's Beth Mooney (144) claimed the seventh spot, while South Africa's Anneke Bosch (137) took eighth place. Amelia Kerr's 43-run contribution in the final propelled her to ninth with 135 runs.
Rounding out the top ten, Sobhana Mostary slipped to tenth with 134 runs.
Women's T20 World Cup 2024 Most Wickets
Amelia Kerr, the brilliant Kiwi all-rounder, capped off an outstanding tournament by claiming a three-wicket haul in the final, finishing as the top wicket-taker with 15 wickets. South Africa's Nonkululeko Mlaba followed closely, taking 12 wickets to secure second place. Afy Fletcher and Rosemary Mair, who also bagged three wickets in the final, shared the third spot with 10 wickets each.
Australia's Annabel Sutherland and New Zealand's Eden Carson rounded out the top five with nine wickets apiece. Megan Schutt (8), Arundhati Reddy (7), Renuka Singh (7), and Sophie Molineux (7) completed the list of standout bowlers, making their mark with solid performances throughout the tournament.
