New Zealand overcame their demons from the past to win the Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time in Dubai, beating South Africa by 32 runs.

In 2010, Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine were a part of the team that were beaten in the final and they played a perfect match to ensure that this time around they would leave with the trophy.

Amelia Kerr starred with bat and ball as New Zealand scored 158 runs having lost the toss and been put in to bat and with the ball they held their nerve to take wickets at key moments as South Africa only managed 126 for nine in reply.

Australia travelled to Dubai as the number one ranked T20 side in the world and favourites to lift a fourth successive trophy, but were knocked out by South Africa in the semi-finals.

England and India both faltered at the group stage and never reached the knockouts, ensuring that the final will be the first white-ball women’s final without Australia or England being involved.

Six-time winners Australia suffered a shock loss to South Africa, who won by eight wickets, chasing down 135 with 16 balls to spare. New Zealand, meanwhile, defeated the West Indies by nine runs in a tense and close semi-final to set up today’s showpiece.

Follow all the live action in the blog below:

Women’s T20 World Cup final LIVE

• South Africa win the toss and choose to bowl first in the T20 World Cup final

• The final starts at 3pm BST

• South Africa XI: Wolvaardt, Brits, Bosch, Kapp, Luus, Tryon, Dercksen, de Klerk, Jafta, Mlaba, Khaka

• New Zealand XI: Bates, Plimmer, Kerr, Devine, Halliday, Green, Gaze, Mair, Tahuhu, Carson, Jonas

• New Zealand score 158 from their 20 overs in the Women’s T20 World Cup final

• New Zealand win the Women’s T20 World Cup by 32 runs

New Zealand win the T20 World Cup

18:29 , Sonia Twigg

Rosemary Mair: “It’s unbelievable, coming in, all the odds were against us, to win is unbelievable.”

“The batters put on a pretty fantastic total for us, they had a great start in powerplay.”

“We just care so much about each other, we’ve been through a lot of lows and just stuck by each other and kept working hard with each other.”

“It’s amazing for Suzie and Sophie. They’re pretty old, to have them lead this side is awesome, we’ve learnt so much from them.”

New Zealand win the T20 World Cup

18:15 , Sonia Twigg

New Zealand have won the T20 World Cup. Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates embrace, they were both there in 2010 when they lost in the final.

The Kiwi men’s team has never won the World Cup, this is a huge moment for New Zealand cricket. What a moment for this group of players and women’s cricket in the country.

Wicket! Tryon out for 14! Jafta out for 6! South Africa 121-9 (19) Mlaba 2, Khaka 1, Mair 3-25 (4)

18:12 , Sonia Twigg

Tryon is caught by Maddy Green in the outfield! South Africa are eight down and any very slim chance of a recovery has gone with Tryon.

Jafta has gone! Mair has her fourth and New Zealand just need one wicket left! The Proteas are 120-9 with 7 balls remaining.

Wicket! Dercksen out for 10! South Africa 117-7 (18) Tryon 14, Jafta 5, Kerr 3-24 (4)

18:07 , Sonia Twigg

Dercksen is just swinging at everything and an edge evades the wicketkeeper. She swings again and it is taken by Bates!

That was the best catch of the day, and Dercksen is out for just 10. Kerr has another wicket.

A four from the final ball of the over.

South Africa 107-6 (17) Tryon 13, Derckesn 8, Jonas 1-29 (4)

18:02 , Sonia Twigg

Dercksen top-edges the first delivery of Jonas’s final over, but it just evades Bates in the field.

Tryon goes in search of a boundary and has to settle for a single.

The hundred came up in the previous over, but there’s a great piece of fielding from Green to prevent Dercksen adding another boundary. She seizes up with cramp, but the runs are saved.

South Africa 100-6 (16) Tryon 12, Dercksen 2, Halliday 1-4 (1)

17:58 , Sonia Twigg

Luus has gone! Halliday has come on to bowl for the first time in the match and she has a breakthrough!

Caught by Suzie Bates and Luus has to go for just eight runs from nine.

A full toss and South Africa can’t take advantge of it.

Just four runs from Halliday’s over, and New Zealand are closing in on victory.

South Africa 95-5 (15) Tryon 11, Luus 7, Tahuhu 0-21 (3)

17:52 , Sonia Twigg

The run rate is creeping up above 12 an over. They have to hit boundaries now, as Tahuhu comes back on to keep things tight.

10 from the over, but it’s not enough. 63 needed from just 30 deliveries.

South Africa 86-5 (14) Tryon 3, Luus 6, Kerr 2-16 (3)

17:48 , Sonia Twigg

Kerr is into her third over, she was struggling with cramp or a slight issue earlier, but has kept things tight.

Luus tries to go big and hit over the top but it just brings a single.

Kerr has a huge shout for lbw as Tryon goes right down and is struck on the shoulder.

Devine sends this one upstairs.

South Africa 81-5 (13) Tryon 0, Luus 3, Mair 1-21 (3)

17:43 , Sonia Twigg

Chloe Tryon walks out to the crease and to get her side back in the game her and De Klerk have a mammoth task ahead of them.

De Klerk has gone! She spoons an outside edge straight to short fine on the edge of the ring!

Mair has her first wicket.

Wicket! Kapp out for 8! South Africa 77-4 (12) De Klerk 6, Carson 1-17 (3)

17:38 , Sonia Twigg

De Klerk and Kapp have to do a rebuilding job here as the required run rate creeps up above 9.5 an over.

De Klerk has not hit a boundary this tournament, as Kapp tries to push on the scoring rate on her own almost.

Another review for caught behind! This is a long delay while everyone waits for ultra edge. A couple of the Kiwi players are having their legs stretched for cramp.

There’s a mostly flat line as the ball goes past the bat and De Klerk survives.

Kapp has provided a needed and welcome boundary.

Kapp has been caught on the boundary!

Wicket! Wolvaardt out for 33! Bosch out for 9! South Africa 64-3 (10) Kapp 1, Kerr 2-11 (2)

17:26 , Sonia Twigg

Wolvaardt has gone! The dots building has brought that breakthrough! She tries to go over extra cover and Bates takes the catch!

Bosch relieves some of the pressure with the first boundary in 23 deliveries.

But there’s another appeal, this time for caught behind and this time New Zealand do go upstairs. Bosch has to go for just nine!

South Africa 59-1 (9) Wolvaardt 33, Bosch 5, Tahuhu 0-11 (2)

17:20 , Sonia Twigg

Tahuhu comes back on, there’s another appeal against Bosch, the Kiwis again choose not to review.

The first ball of the over goes for a single but then the dots start to mount.

South Africa 58-1 (8) Wolvaardt 32, Bosch 5, Kerr 0-6 (1)

17:15 , Sonia Twigg

Kerr has come on to bowl for the first time in this match, she has taken 12 wickets in the tournament so far.

Bosch has been struck on the pad, nothing given, and not reviewed, might just have been too high.

Wicket! Brits out for 17! South Africa 52-1 (7) Wolvaardt 30, Bosch 1, Jonas 1-15 (2)

17:12 , Sonia Twigg

Jonas starts her second with two dots but then fires one wide.

South Africa bring up their half century in the seventh over with a hard run two.

Breakthrough! Brits tries to go big and hit down the ground over the top, but it was straight to the fielder in the deep and she has to go for 17!

South Africa 47-0 (6) Wolvaardt 39, Brits 15, Mair 0-17 (2)

17:06 , Sonia Twigg

Mair returns to the action. She bowled three wides in her first over, but the swing might have died down a bit now, either way she will bowl the final over of the powerplay.

Devine chases the first down hard to keep the runs down to just one. But Wolvaardt crunches the ball down the ground for another boundary.

Two more boundaries from the over as Brits gets in on the action and New Zealand need a wicket to stem the flow of runs.

South Africa 37-0 (5) Wolvaardt 24, Brits 10, Carson 0-10 (2)

17:03 , Sonia Twigg

Carson will have her second.

That was a good over from Carson, just three singles from it.

South Africa 34-0 (4) Wolvaardt 23, Brits 6, Tahuhu 0-10 (1)

17:00 , Sonia Twigg

Tahuhu is coming on to bowl.

Wolvaard has another boundary, too straight and sends this one to the leg side boundary.

She follows it up with another! Back to back fours.

South Africa 24-0 (3) Wolvaardt 14, Brits 7, Jonas 0-10 (1)

16:56 , Sonia Twigg

Jonas has come on to bowl, three overs, three bowlers so far for the Kiwis.

South Africa are sprinting through all of these runs, lots of twos.

Wolvaardt has another boundary with expert timing and this is becoming an expensive over.

South Africa 14-0 (2) Wolvaardt 7, Brits 4, Carson 0-7 (1)

16:52 , Sonia Twigg

Carson comes into the attack for some early spin. Brits just fends off the first two deliveries defensively.

Wolvaardt scores the first boundary of the innings, and tries to follow it up with a second but it’s well stopped just before the rope.

Amelia Kerr has cramp after that dive.

South Africa 7-0 (1) Wolvaardt 1, Brits 3, Mair 0-7 (1)

16:48 , Sonia Twigg

Mair will open the bowling for New Zealand. There’s a little too much swing and the ball drifts leg side bringing the first extras of the second innings.

Brits tries to go over the top but it’s stopped on the boundary to save a run.

Another one leg side, and another wide. Again more swing, a third wide of the over.

New Zealand score 158 from their 20 overs in the Women’s T20 World Cup final

16:40 , Sonia Twigg

Here are some photos from the first innings:

New Zealand score 158 from their 20 overs in the Women’s T20 World Cup final

16:32 , Sonia Twigg

Final over of the New Zealand innings, Khaka fires one down the leg side, and it will be a wide which the batters have run.

There have been 15 extras in this innings so far.

Khaka fumbles the ball in and there’s another two to bring up the 150 which is a good score in a final.

She re-adjusts with a full toss and that has been rightly smashed for the first six of the innings by Green!

Green is then put down next ball! They come back for two and that takes the total up to 158!

Wicket! Kerr out for 43! New Zealand 142-5 (19) Green 1, Gaze 1, Mlaba 2-31 (4)

16:27 , Sonia Twigg

Kerr finds the gap and brings up another boundary! The ball goes into the gap, and she follow it up with another one on the off side.

Kerr hadn’t been scoring particularly quickly before this over, but she has taken the attack on here now.

But that’s it for Kerr! She goes for another boundary but doesn’t get hold of it enough and is caught at deep midwicket!

New Zealand 131-4 (18) Kerr 33, Green 1, Tryon 1-22 (4)

16:23 , Sonia Twigg

Halliday goes up and straight but it hasn’t got the distance to go all the way, although it was too straight to be in danger of being caught.

But she goes next ball! Halliday launches the ball into the leg side, but straight into the safe hands of the fielder at deep square leg.

Maddy Green is the new batter. There’s an umpire review for run out against Kerr, but she was well in.

Tryon has just stemmed the flow of runs, and got the crucial wicket.

New Zealand 124-3 (17) Kerr 31, Halliday 36, Kapp 0-25 (4)

16:18 , Sonia Twigg

Kapp will come back on for her last over, this is a big roll of the dice from Wolvaardt.

Halliday just tucks the ball into the leg side for a single, and it’s another back foot no ball!

Halliday fires one through the gap on the off side but Chloe Tryon does well to get round and cut off the boundary.

The batters are starting to look tired out there as they fight for singles and twos.

Kapp goes wicketless in the final.

New Zealand 116-3 (16) Kerr 29, Halliday 31, Khaka 1-28 (3)

16:13 , Sonia Twigg

Halliday hits Khaka back just over her head for a single.

Another one is hit back at her, this time on the full and Khaka has put down the chance. It was hit hard but still a one-handed chance.

New Zealand 110-3 (15) Kerr 27, Halliday 26, De Klerk 1-13 (2)

16:09 , Sonia Twigg

De Klerk comes into the attack and another boundary is only stopped by some good fielding from Brits on the rope.

New Zealand bring up the hundred in the 15th over.

Halliday finds the gap on the off side behind backward point this time and brings up another boundary.

No ball for the back foot touching the tramlines and another free hit, it goes over Luus and brings another four runs to New Zealand’s total.

New Zealand 97-3 (14) Kerr 20, Halliday 21, Luus 0-17 (2)

16:05 , Sonia Twigg

A quick run two starts off Luus’ second over.

Halliday goes down the ground and over the top but can’t quite send it to the boundary.

Halliday has her boundary! It looked for a moment like it might be a six but just dropped inside the rope. It has come on the leg side for the left hander.

She has a second! Nadine de Klerk lets the ball go straight through her and back to back boundaries have relieved the pressure.

New Zealand 85-3 (13) Kerr 19, Halliday 10, Mlaba 1-20 (3)

16:00 , Sonia Twigg

Mlaba is trying to take the sweep shot out, Kerr goes down the ground but again it’s just a single.

The last boundary feels like a very long time ago.

But that pressure has almost been released, Halliday fires one through the gap in the ring but the ball just stops short of the rope.

Halliday fires one up but there’s no one underneath it.

New Zealand 79-3 (12) Kerr 17, Halliday 6, Luus 0-5 (1)

15:57 , Sonia Twigg

Luus will have her first over and she does well to field an attempted drive from Kerr straight off the first ball.

Halliday heaves into the leg side but can’t quite get hold of it.

Halliday tries a reverse sweep, doesn’t quite get hold of it, it’s another two.

New Zealand 74-3 (11) Kerr 15, Halliday 3, De Klerk 1-4 (1)

15:54 , Sonia Twigg

De Klerk comes into the attack after the drinks break. Devine has been hit and De Klerk is the only one to appeal but is so convinced the decision is sent upstairs.

And she was right! Devine has to go for just six! The ball was going to hit and De Klerk celebrates.

There hasn’t been a boundary since the powerplay for the Kiwis now.

New Zealand 70-2 (10) Kerr 14, Devine 6, Tryon 0-17 (3)

15:45 , Sonia Twigg

Devine sweeps fine, manages to get it past the keeper, but it doesn’t have enough on it to reach the boundary off Tryon.

Another wide, and New Zealand won’t complain about these extra runs at all.

Tryon miss-fields off her own bowling and Devine adds another single.

At the half way point, New Zealand are 70-2.

New Zealand 62-2 (9) Kerr 12, Devine 1, Kapp 0-17 (3)

15:41 , Sonia Twigg

Kapp comes back to bowl the ninth over. Kerr manages to tuck the ball away for a single.

The run rate has slowed slightly since the wicket, but Devine is an experienced batter.

Devine is off the mark with a single. Kapp takes the pace off the ball which glances off the hip of Kerr and away for another single.

Another pace off delivery that dies before it reaches the keeper and goes past the outside edge of Devine.

Wicket! Bates out for 32! New Zealand 57-2 (8) Kerr 10, Devine 0, Mlaba 1-14 (2)

15:36 , Sonia Twigg

Bates turns the first ball of Mlaba’s second over to deep square leg for a single.

Mlaba tries to react but fires one down leg side.

Kerr sweeps fine but the ball can’t quite evade the fielder and is well-stopped on the boundary by Kapp.

Mlaba has a breakthrough! It’s the big wicket of Suzie Bates! She goes too far across her crease to try and access the leg side and misses the ball which crashes into the stumps.

Another wide from Mlaba, and three from the over.

New Zealand 50-1 (7) Bates 31, Kerr 9, Tryon 0-9 (2)

15:30 , Sonia Twigg

Bates switches it up with a reverse paddle and picks up a single to Tryon.

They can’t seem to find the boundary off Tryon, but can keep manoeuvring the ball around for singles.

New Zealand 43-1 (6) Bates 25, Kerr 8, Mlaba 0-7 (1)

15:26 , Sonia Twigg

The switch to spin has stemmed the flow of runs, and Mlaba who has been prolific in this tournament comes into the attack.

Bates manages to secure two off the opening ball of the over. New Zealand have another scare, the ball catches the edge of Bates’ bat and just drops short of the fielder.

Bates sweeps and perfectly picks out the boundary on the leg side. She follows it up with another straighter one straight to the fielder in the deep at midwicket.

New Zealand 36-1 (5) Bates 18, Kerr 8, Tryon 0-2 (1)

15:23 , Sonia Twigg

South Africa switch to the spin of Tryon after the batters seemed to relish the chance to be aggressive against the seamers.

Bates almost found herself stranded, but the throw into Jafta was not perfect and allowed her to get back into her crease.

New Zealand 34-1 (4) Bates 17, Kerr 7, Khaka 1-21 (2)

15:19 , Sonia Twigg

Bates tucks the first delivery of Khaka’s second over into the leg side for a single. The wicketkeeper has come up, but Kerr just tucks it around the corner for another couple.

She does it again, and the fielder fumbles allowing for a single to turn into two.

Bates powers another boundary to finish off the over, past mid on.

New Zealand 24-1 (3) Bates 10, Kerr 4, Kapp 0-13 (2)

15:15 , Sonia Twigg

Kapp will return for her second, and Bates is keen to come down the wicket straight away, there was a chance of a run out at the non-strikers, but Kerr would have been safe even with a direct hit.

Bates was close to being caught but she has found the gap on the off side between point and cover and adds another couple.

The next delivery is also close, she goes up over the ring on the off side and the ball just bounces out of reach of the fielder, but it has been called a no ball and would not have counted.

Kerr is bowled off the free hit, she edges it onto her pad and back onto the stumps, but it won’t count.

Wicket! Plimmer out for 9! New Zealand 20-1 (2) Bates 7, Kerr 4, Khaka 1-11 (1)

15:11 , Sonia Twigg

The pressure is on, there’s a fumble on the boundary and New Zealand have another boundary, with Bates scoring her first four off Khaka.

She flicks another one off the pads for a single.

Plimmer goes for another one, hits down the ground but straight into the hands of long on! South Africa have a breakthrough! Caught by Sune Luus.

Kerr is on the charge, hits her first ball to the leg side boundary.

New Zealand 9-0 (1) Bates 1, Plimmer 8, Kapp 0-9 (1)

15:05 , Sonia Twigg

The first ball is wide outside off stump and Bates is off the mark with a single down towards deep backward point.

Kapp has confused Plimmer with a wobble seam delivery that she swishes at but can’t get near, the next one however she launches over midwicket and brings the first boundary of the Kiwi innings.

And another short ball has been pulled to the boundary, that is a great start from the batters.

South Africa vs New Zealand

15:01 , Sonia Twigg

Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer are at the crease, and Marizanne Kapp has ball in hand.

South Africa vs New Zealand

14:58 , Sonia Twigg

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine: “We were going to have a bat anyway so it has worked out well for both teams. It looks like a great surface and we are ready to get out there and put some runs on the board.”

“Obviously, there is more importance on this game, there is always more media attention with a final but we embrace those changes. It is a privilege to be here so we are just soaking it all in.”

“Tom and the New Zealand men’s team did so well out in India so we are taking that as our motivation and we are going to show what we are capable of doing.”

South Africa vs New Zealand

14:55 , Sonia Twigg

The flags are out and it’s almost time for the anthems.

Here are the teams:

South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Suné Luus, Chloe Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka.

New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Melie Kerr, Sophie Devine (c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze (wk), Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas.

England Women’s T20 World Cup failure raises key question as Ashes loom

14:50 , Sonia Twigg

For the second World Cup in a row, England have been knocked out by a team that is, in theory, a weaker opponent. For it to happen once is a misfortune, for it to happen twice looks like carelessness.

Combine this with the 2022 Commonwealth Games semi-final defeat to India when a match that was in their grasp was let slip, and in each of the last three T20 competitions that England have played they have crumbled in the face of pressure.

This isn’t being wise after the fact. Ahead of the tournament, head coach Jon Lewis said the biggest thing that came out of last year’s World Cup defeat to South Africa was that the team were “still working on dealing with pressure moments”.

England Women’s latest failure raises key question as Ashes loom

Anneke Bosch stars as South Africa crush favourites Australia to reach T20 World Cup final

14:40 , Sonia Twigg

Anneke Bosch smashed a superb unbeaten 74 as South Africa powered past defending champions Australia with an eight-wicket victory to reach the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

Despite opener Beth Mooney making 44, Australia’s total of 134 for five on what looked a slow Dubai pitch always appeared within reach as South Africa sought to make amends for defeat in the 2023 final on home soil to the same opponents.

Tazmin Brits fell for 15 in the powerplay but Bosch and Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt, who chalked up a swift 42 including a huge six over deep midwicket, soon took the game away from Australia, winners of six of the eight previous editions of this tournament.

Bosch led the charge as she crashed eight boundaries in her fine 48-ball innings to help steer South Africa towards a memorable victory with 16 balls to spare. Annabel Sutherland picked up the two wickets.

South Africa crush favourites Australia to reach T20 World Cup final

Toss

14:35 , Sonia Twigg

South Africa have won the toss and chosen to bowl...

South Africa vs New Zealand

14:32 , Sonia Twigg

The toss will take place shortly.

How can I watch it?

14:15 , Sonia Twigg

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage on the channel from 2.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via Sky Go.

When is the Women’s T20 World Cup final?

14:00 , Sonia Twigg

The final of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday 20 October. It is due to start at 3pm BST.

Is South Africa v New Zealand on TV?

13:45 , Sonia Twigg

South Africa take on New Zealand in the final of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.

A thrilling tournament has proved unpredictable at virtually every turn with all three of the sport’s powerhouses failing to make this decider.

Both India and England failed to make it through the group stages before Australia, champions of the last three editions of this event, fell to a shock semi-final defeat against South Africa.

Runners-up last time, Laura Wolvaardt’s side will be looking to go one better as they face a New Zealand side that edged out the West Indies in the second semi-final.

Women’s T20 World Cup final

Friday 18 October 2024 15:01 , Sonia Twigg

Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Women’s T20 World Cup final.

The tournament had been originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was moved on the eve of the tournament to the United Arab Emirates and all the matches have been split between Dubai and Sharjah.

The pre-tournament favourites Australia were knocked out in the semi-finals by South Africa.