Key events
And this is a super read on where South Africa and New Zealand sit (as well as the now knocked out West Indies.)
I love this from Suzie Bates:
“We’re the grandmas of this team, still standing. Leah [Tahuhu] with her bionic knees, Sophie having dealt with a lot of stuff as captain, and me keeping on going – it’s really a special moment. There have been tough times, we have been through ups and downs, but that we have made the final is special. We look after each other.”
Preamble
Hello! This is it. A T20 World Cup final – but not just any T20 World Cup Final. A T20 World Cup final without Australia, without England, without India – for the first time in the history of the women’s T20 competition.
But, as big as the news has been about England and India’s underwhelming performances, (see Raf Nicholson here):
And Australia’s shock defeat (see Megan Maurice here):
The real news is the rise of New Zealand and South Africa. Both surprise finalists, both on the rise from the “middle group” of women’s cricket teams – who have seemed so far away from the big three. But not so now.
Sophie Devine’s New Zealand started the tournament after a disastrous year of results. Their rebuilding phase had not brought any tangible benefits, and Devine worried to women’s cricket podcast “Powerplay” that young girls were gravitating towards netball or rugby union instead. But once they hit the tournament, everything started to come together, with the tournament’s leading wicket taker Amelia Kerr the shining light.
South Africa, who knocked out England to reach the final in the last competition have been hovering on the edge of the big time, “Two finals in two years, we must be doing something right” in the words of Laura Wolvaardt. Their strength has been that batting – topped by Anneke Bosch’s incredible 74 not out against Australia.
By this evening will be a new name on the trophy. Play starts at 3pm BST. Join us to see history made.
