New Zealand stayed in contention for the semifinals with a vital six-wicket victory over Scotland in the 19th match of the Women’s T20 World Cup on June 23.
This match was important as it marked the return of Lea Tahuhu to the team. It was the first time in this tournament that Tahuhu, Sophie Devine, and Suzie Bates played together. Tahuhu celebrated her achievement of 100 T20I wickets, becoming only the third New Zealand woman to achieve this milestone, following Devine (130) and Melie Kerr (111).
Tahuhu’s milestone came on her first ball of the eighth over, disrupting a 51-run partnership between Katherine Fraser and Darcey Carter. Fraser, scoring just 7 runs off 17 balls, was caught at extra cover, allowing Tahuhu to make history.
For Scotland, 21-year-old Carter stood out again with an impressive 72* from 52 balls, including eight fours and a six, at a strike rate of 138.46. She added 28 runs alongside Sarah Bryce, but Scotland’s batting struggled otherwise. Kerr (3/17) and Devine (2/19) tightened their grip in the middle overs, limiting Scotland to a total of 131, with Carter remaining not out.
New Zealand’s chase started poorly, losing Kerr and Gaze quickly, with Devine only managing one run. At 26/3 in 5.1 overs, the situation seemed dire for the White Ferns. However, a remarkable recovery followed.
Izzy Sharp and Brooke Halliday put together a crucial partnership of 101 runs for the fourth wicket, changing the game’s momentum. Sharp was the top scorer with 62 runs off 43 balls, hitting eight fours and a six at a strike rate of 144.18, while Halliday finished with 41 not out off 38 balls, leading her team to victory with 10 balls remaining.
Top run-scorer of the Match
|
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Balls |
Fours |
Sixes |
Strike Rate |
|
Darcey Carter |
SCO-W |
72 |
52 |
8 |
1 |
138.46 |
Top wicket-taker of the Match
|
Player |
Team |
Overs |
Maiden |
Runs |
Wickets |
Economy |
|
Melie Kerr |
NZ-W |
4 |
1 |
17 |
3 |
4.25 |
Player of the Match
Izzy Sharp
Sharp faced a tough situation when she came to bat as New Zealand had lost early wickets. However, she kept her composure, guiding her team to victory with calculated risks and a strike rate of 144.18.
Turning Point
Scotland struggled due to a lack of partnerships. Aside from the opening stand, they had little to show for their innings.
What did the captains say:
Winning Captain, Amelia Kerr (New Zealand women)
“I’m really happy we kept them to that total. They started strong, with Carter playing well. But we recovered nicely in the last four overs. We had some good fielding moments but also areas to improve. It feels great to win. (On Sharp and Halliday’s partnership) We want to avoid losing multiple wickets in the powerplay, but Sharp played a special innings. I have seen her talent in the nets and believe she can be among the best in the world. (On the next game) We’re looking forward to it; The Oval has a great atmosphere.”
Losing Captain, Kathryn Bryce (Scotland women)
“We started well with the bat but had a tough time towards the end. We left around 20 runs out there, which made a difference. We took some early wickets and had a few chances, but if one had stuck, it could have changed the game. The larger boundaries made it tougher. (On positives) Our batting and early wickets were commendable. (On Carter) She did amazing. She learned from her previous innings and played a brilliant knock.”