Kerr, Halliday deliver World Cup glory on dream day for NZ cricket
Written by I Dig Sports
Published in
Cricket
Sunday, 20 October 2024 10:55
Toss New Zealand 158 for 5 (Kerr 43, Halliday 38, Bates 32, Mlaba 2-31) beat South Africa 126 for 9 (Wolvaardt 33, Mair 3-25, Kerr 3-24) by 32 runs
October 20 can be written in big, bold letters, as one of New Zealand cricket's unforgettable dates. Hours after men's team recorded a famous Test win, their first in India in 36 years, the women's team delivered the country's maiden T20I World Cup in style in Dubai.
As a nation of four million clocked in to work on Monday morning, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates - "grandmas of the team" as Bates laughed in jest - had just about finished theirs, getting their hands on the Women's T20 World Cup trophy, the cup that had agonizingly got away from them 14 years ago at Kensington Oval.
It was fitting that the two legends, who have carried the country's cricket ecosystem for so long, through issues with depth and limited financial resources, could enjoy the night of their lives in the twilight of their storied careers.
Amelia Kerr, who had hoped to dedicate the win to the golden oldies, couldn't have stepped up with a more impactful effort - top scoring with 43, while also picking up three wickets, all with a slight limp due to cramps.
For added context, New Zealand had come into the tournament on a streak of 10 T20I losses, the longest losing streak any team has turned around to win a cricket World Cup. On this night, all of that didn't matter though.
Full report to follow
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