New Zealand Cricket had plenty to celebrate on OCTOBER 20, a date that will be etched in history. In a remarkable twist, the men's team achieved a historic Test victory in India, their first in 36 years. Moments later, the women's team made headlines by clinching New Zealand's first women's T20I World Cup title in Dubai. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
New Zealand entered this World Cup with 10 consecutive T20I defeats, marking the longest losing streak for any team heading into a World Cup that they ultimately won, whether in ODIs or T20Is, for both men and women.
As the clock struck Monday morning, and four million New Zealanders began their workweek, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, the "grandmas of the team," as Bates humorously called them, had just wrapped up their own work. They had secured the Women's T20 World Cup trophy, a coveted prize that had eluded them 14 years ago at Kensington Oval.
Not only did the team achieve this remarkable victory, but they also broke several records. Let’s take a look at the final stats.
New Zealand Vs West Indies: Final Stats
Amelia Kerr made history by becoming the first woman to score over 40 runs and take three or more wickets in a T20I knockout match. She is now one of only six players to achieve 40-plus runs and three-plus wickets in a Women's T20 World Cup game.
Kerr also claimed 15 wickets in this World Cup, the most by any player in a single edition of the Women's T20 World Cup. She surpassed Anya Shrubsole and Megan Schutt, who each took 13 wickets in 2014 and 2020, respectively. Nonkululeko Mlaba follows next on the list with 12 wickets in 2024.
Sophie Devine, at 35 years and 49 days old, became the oldest captain to win a Women's World Cup. She surpassed the previous record held by Belinda Clark, who was 34 years and 212 days old when she led Australia to victory in the Women's ODI World Cup in 2005.
Suzie Bates has played 334 matches in international cricket, consisting of 163 ODIs and 171 T20Is. She is now the most capped woman in the sport's history, surpassing Mithali Raj's previous record of 333 appearances.
New Zealand became only the fourth team to win the Women's T20 World Cup. Australia has claimed six of the nine editions of the tournament, while England (2009) and the West Indies (2016) are the other teams to have lifted the trophy.
New Zealand's bowlers took 48 wickets across six matches in this World Cup, setting a record for the most wickets by a team's bowlers in a Women's T20 World Cup. They surpassed the previous record of 46 wickets held by Australia in the 2018 edition.
