New Zealand overcome Dottin’s brilliance to reach first T20 World Cup final since 2010

New Zealand 128 for 9 (Plimmer 33, Dottin 4-22, Fletcher 2-23) beaten West Indies 120 for 8 (Dottin 33, Carson 3-29, Kerr 2-14) by eight runs

New Zealand stormed into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup after 14 years, beating the 2016 champions West Indies by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller in Sharjah. New Zealand will meet South Africa, finalist of the 2023 edition, while the tournament is scheduled for a first champion.

New Zealand were not perfect, having lost five catches in the field, but their bowlers found a way to stop the West Indies at 120 for 8.

Carson takes his first steps

Carson has been New Zealand’s favored bowler, having taken four of their five wickets before the semi-final of this phase. On Friday, she once again set the tone with the ball. After conceding two fours to Qiana Joseph, the player bowled a long ball on middle which raced past the batter’s stroke to knock her off the stumps. Soon, 16 for no loss became 20 for 2 when Carson bowled one from full force for Shemaine Campbelle to get out and divert one to extra cover, where Suzie Bates took a diving catch. The wickets slowed West Indies down, with Matthews and Taylor moving at a snail’s pace. Carson came back again for the ninth when Matthews and Taylor smashed a four each to pick up the pace, but the player had the last laugh, bowling Taylor for a 20-ball 13 when she mistimed a slog sweep . She finished with figures of 3 for 29 and the Player of the Match award.

West Indies dominate powerplay

Matthews was happy to play first, which was evident in the way they started with the ball. In the first six overs, played in equal measure in terms of spin and pace, West Indies kept New Zealand quiet, losing only 32 runs. Fast bowler Chinelle Henry bowled three of her four overs in the powerplay, hitting the difficult lengths and extracting movement in the air and out of the box to deny Bates and Georgia Plimmer getting going. Two of New Zealand’s three fours in this phase were giveaways: a full toss from Zaida James and an over-thrown delivery from Henry. Plimmer struggled with his timing early on. Bates tried to cross and go down the track to find fast runs, but to little effect.

Dottin tears up New Zealand

Never mind that Dottin was bowling only for the second time in this T20 World Cup. She used her ten years of experience on land that was not easy to exploit. She bowled mostly full and straight, and mixed it smartly with slower deliveries, which was enough to trouble New Zealand. Dottin struck with her second ball to remove Kerr for 7. But quick starts from Brooke Halliday and Devine revived the innings; the duo added 27 off the next 14 balls.

But in Dottin’s second over, the 15th of the innings, the momentum swung again towards the West Indies. There was a short pause in play after Halliday was hit on the left foot by a pitch from mid-wicket. Dottin yorked the next ball. Halliday nearly jammed his bat on it and saw it off the off stump tied back. She hit 18 off nine balls.

In the follow-up, Afy Fletcher dismissed Devine for a run-a-ball 12, and New Zealand, at 98 for 5, needed Maddy Green and Isabella Gaze to step up. But Dottin denied them this opportunity. She first dismissed Green, then trapped Rosemary Mair lbw with the help of DRS. At 104 for 7, New Zealand seemed to have lost the ground. But they managed to make 24 in the last three overs, which ultimately proved decisive.