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Proteas Women eye historic first title in T20 World Cup final against New Zealand

cricket19 October 2024 15:00
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The Proteas Women will take on New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 final on Sunday evening at the Dubai International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, with both teams vying for their first-ever World Cup title in the short format.

With a new champion set to be crowned, the encounter will get underway at 18h00 local time (16h00 SAST) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Grandstand (201).

South Africa comes into this final having alternated between wins and losses in their last four T20 Internationals (T20I) clashes against New Zealand, but they hold the upper hand, winning their most recent contest by 11 runs in October last year. Furthermore, the Proteas Women have enjoyed significant success in recent ICC Women's T20 World Cup encounters with the White Ferns, winning two of their last three meetings, including a commanding 65-run victory in Paarl during last year’s tournament held on home soil.

The Proteas will be playing in their second consecutive ICC Women's T20 World Cup final, joining the ranks of Australia, New Zealand, and England as teams that have reached back-to-back finals. In the semifinal against the Aussies, South Africa's Anneke Bosch was the star with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 74 at a strike rate of 154.2, an innings that ranks among the best in the history of knockout matches in the competition.

Proteas Women allrounder Chloe Tryon shared insights on the team’s mindset ahead of this monumental clash.

“It’s nice to be in another final. It’s always been our goal, and it feels really exciting for the team. We’ve been working hard to get here, and we just want to play our best cricket on Sunday.”

Having suffered a painful defeat in the 2023 final at Newlands, Tryon acknowledged the emotional toll but emphasized how the team has grown since then. “That loss was tough to swallow, but we’ve reflected and learned a lot. We’re calmer now and know our roles better. We’ve been gelling really well, and I feel like the way we’ve been playing—calm, confident, and together—has been key.”

On the challenge posed by New Zealand, Tryon expects a fierce contest. “They’ve shown a lot of resilience, especially turning things around in this tournament. We know it’s going to be a tough fight, but we’re excited for it.”

Tryon also highlighted the significance of Bosch’s semifinal heroics, praising her mental strength and ability to perform under pressure. “She had been struggling a bit before, but to come out in a big game like that and show so much character was fantastic. We all fed off that energy, and it’s exactly what we need going into the final.”

With senior players like Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka leading the bowling attack, the Proteas have been clinical in applying pressure and closing out key moments. “As a bowling unit, we’ve been happy with how we’ve played, (particularly in the semifinal against Australia). We stayed nice and calm, bowled well in partnerships, which set us up for closing out the innings, which was crucial,” Tryon said.

When asked about the significance of potentially bringing the trophy home, Tryon spoke with passion: “It would mean so much to unite the country. We’ve had a lot of support from back home, and we want to make everyone proud. We hope to bring everyone together by doing something special on Sunday.

Proteas Women Squad - ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 (United Arab Emirates):

Laura Wolvaardt (Captain) (Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Mieke de Ridder (Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Marizanne Kapp (World Sports Betting Western Province), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Seshnie Naidu (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions), Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions)

Traveling Reserve

Miané Smit* (Recon Tactical Free State)

* Uncapped

South Africa’s Fixtures - ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 (03 - 20 October)

Sunday, 20 October @ 16h00 SAST: South Africa v New Zealand (Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai)

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