In a heart-wrenching final, the South African women’s cricket team, the Proteas, fell short once more, losing to New Zealand by 32 runs in the Women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai. New Zealand clinched their inaugural title, with Amelia Kerr shining as the Player of the Match. Kerr's impressive all-round performance included a top score of 43 runs, which helped her team post a formidable total of 158-5. She further contributed with the ball, claiming 3 wickets for 24 runs, crucially dismissing South African stars Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch.
This win marked a remarkable redemption for New Zealand, 14 years after their narrow defeat to Australia in the 2010 final. In contrast, the South African team faced their second consecutive final loss, having lost to Australia last year in Cape Town.
After opting to bat first, the New Zealand openers started aggressively. Despite an early wicket, captain Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday built momentum with a significant fourth-wicket partnership. For South Africa, though the top order began promisingly with Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, they struggled after losing key wickets quickly. With regular wickets falling, the Proteas' middle and lower order faltered, ending their innings at 126-9. As the final pair held out to the last over, New Zealand revelled in their historic victory, solidifying Kerr’s role as a tournament standout with a remarkable 15 wickets.