New Zealand secured a spot in the T20 World Cup final by defeating the West Indies.
West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin's exceptional performance with both bat and ball was insufficient to secure victory, as New Zealand advanced to the final of the women's T20 World Cup with a narrow eight-run win in the second semi-final held in Sharjah on Friday.
Dottin recorded impressive bowling figures of 4-22 and contributed 33 runs, yet the West Indies fell short in their pursuit of 129 runs, finishing at 120-8 after their allotted 20 overs.
New Zealand is set to face South Africa in the final on Sunday in Dubai, following South Africa's surprising defeat of the defending champions, Australia, in the first semi-final, which will result in a new world champion.
Choosing to bat first at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, New Zealand struggled to build on a promising start, ultimately scoring a modest 128-9.
Suzie Bates (26) and Georgia Plimmer (33) formed a solid opening partnership of 48 runs, but the majority of the New Zealand batting lineup found it challenging to time their shots effectively.
Dottin's bowling dismantled their middle order, yet New Zealand managed to surpass the 125-run mark, aided by Isabella Gaze's unbeaten contribution of 20 runs.
The West Indies faced early setbacks in their innings as Eden Carson took three crucial wickets, giving New Zealand an advantage.
Dottin was fortunate to be dropped three times, including twice by Lea Tahuhu, which allowed the West Indies to gradually re-enter the match.
Dottin struck back-to-back sixes off Tahuhu, intensifying the pressure, but Amelia Kerr ultimately dismissed her in the 17th over, which significantly impacted the outcome of the game.
In the final over, requiring 15 runs from Bates, the West Indies could only manage six runs.
"I am feeling a bit emotional but immensely proud of the team," remarked Carson, who was named player of the match.
"When Deandra Dottin was hitting us all over the field, I thought, 'oh no,' but we remained united, believed we could achieve it, and ultimately succeeded."
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews acknowledged that their batting performance fell short.
"...with the bat, we probably just weren't able to get going early on, which placed us under significant pressure," she stated.
We believed that, considering the condition of the wicket, they were likely a few runs short. While we aimed to maintain a positive outlook, we were unable to gain any significant momentum.
SportsLigue