New Zealand stormed into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup after 14 years, beating the 2016 champions West Indies by eight runs in a low-scoring thriller in Sharjah. New Zealand will meet the 2023 edition’s runners-up South Africa as the tournament is set for a first-time champion.

Opting to bat first, Sophie Devine’s side huffed and puffed their way to 128 for 9 on a pitch where the ball was not coming onto the bat Deandra Dottin starred for West Indies, taking 4 for 22. However, West Indies’ chase did not take off as expected with Eden Carson   and Co keeping them to 25 for 2 in the powerplay.

Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor toiled hard but could manage only a combined 28 off 41 balls. That left West Indies 51 for 4 and needing 78 from 55. Dottin once again kept West Indies in the game. Her fireworks – a 22-ball 33 where she hit Lea Tahuhu for three sixes in an over – brought the equation down to 34 from 24. But Amelia Kerr, the highest wicket taker at this World Cup, ended Dottin’s innings in the 17th over when she top-edged a sweep to short fine leg.

New Zealand were not flawless, having dropped five catches in the field, but their bowlers found a way to stop West Indies to 120 for 8.

Carson has been New Zealand’s go-to powerplay bowler, having taken four of her five wickets prior to the semi-final in this phase. On Friday, she once again set the tone with the ball. After conceding two fours to Qiana Joseph, the offspinner bowled a length ball on middle that spun past the batter’s swipe to knock her stumps. Soon 16 for no loss became 20 for 2 when Carson darted one full and wide of off for Shemaine Campbelle to step out and miscue one towards extra cover, where Suzie Bates took a diving catch. The wickets slowed down West Indies with Matthews and Taylor moving at a snail’s pace. Carson came back again for the ninth over when Matthews and Taylor smashed a four each to pick up pace but the offspinner had the last laugh, bowling Taylor for a 20-ball 13 as she mistimed a slog sweep. She ended with figures of 3 for 29 and the Player-of-the-Match award.

Matthews was happy to bowl first, which was evident in the way they started with the ball. In the first six overs, bowled equally by spin and pace, West Indies kept New Zealand quiet, leaking just 32 runs. Fast bowler Chinelle Henry bowled three of her four overs inside the powerplay, hitting the hard lengths and extracting movement in the air and off the surface to not let Bates and Georgia Plimmer get going. Two of New Zealand’s three fours in this phase were freebies – a full toss off Zaida James and an overpitched delivery from Henry. Plimmer struggled to find her timing early on. Bates tried to move across and come down the track to find quick runs but to little effect.

It didn’t matter that Dottin was bowling only for the second time in this T20 World Cup. She put her decade-long experience to use on a pitch that was not easy to bat on. She bowled mostly full and straight, and mixed it cleverly with slower deliveries which was enough to trouble New Zealand. Dottin struck with her second ball to remove Kerr for 7. But Brooke Halliday and Devine’s quick starts revived the innings; the duo added 27 off the next 14 balls.

But in Dottin’s second over, the 15th of the innings, swung the momentum once again towards West Indies. There was a short break in play after Halliday was hit on her left foot by a throw from deep midwicket. Dottin fired in a yorker the next ball. Halliday missed jamming her bat down at it and saw her off stump pegged back. She made 18 off nine balls.

In the following over, Afy Fletcher dismissed Devine for a run-a-ball 12, and New Zealand, at 98 for 5, needed Maddy Green and Isabella Gaze to step up. But Dottin denied them that opportunity. She first sent back Green and then trapped Rosemary Mair lbw with the help of DRS. At 104 for 7, New Zealand seemed to have lost the plot. But they managed to eke out 24 from the last three overs, which proved to be decisive in the end.

Brief scores:
New Zealand Women 128 for 9 in 20 overs (Suzie Bates 26,Georgia Pimmer 33, Isabella Gaze 20; Deandra Dottin 4-22, Karishma Ramhaeak 1-11, Aaiya Alleyne 1-31, Afy Fletcher 2-23)beat West Indies Women 120 for 8 in 20 overs (Deandra Dottin 33; Fran Jonas 1-21, Eden Carson 3-29, Amelia Kerr 2-14, Lea Tahuhu 1-33, Suzie Bates 1-06) by eight runs

[Cricinfo]