New Zealand wins test of luck over West Indies to reach final

October 19, 2024

By K. R. Nayar
From Sharjah Cricket Stadium

It is indeed surprising that the major focus of discussions about the second semi-final is primarily on New Zealand reaching the final, despite their narrow win over the West Indies by just eight runs. In the end, it seems that what matters most is the victory, not how it was achieved. The West Indies' batting approach was more like a "catch us if you can," after they offered numerous catching opportunities to the New Zealand fielders who repeatedly dropped them. Ultimately, luck prevailed, and New Zealand reached the final. However, witnessing so many dropped catches in a semi-final is far from ideal for the image of women’s cricket.

The fielding throughout this World Cup has resembled club-level cricket. It seems as though women’s cricket has forgotten the famous adage, “catches win matches.” One would expect better fielding, especially in a semi-final. The West Indies effectively lost the game by failing to capitalize on the many chances they were given to take control of the match.

Skippers of the ICC T20 Women's World Cup 2024 final, New Zealand's Sophie Devine and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, against the back drop of the Musuem of the Future in Dubai

Deandra Dottin, who threatened to turn the tide for her team with some powerful hitting, was dropped on 2, then again on 7, and once more when she was on 11. Despite these missed chances, New Zealand’s luck finally held on as Fran Jonas caught Dottin off Amelia Kerr’s bowling when she was on 33.

In the post-match press conference, Kerr admitted, "We let a few down against a world-class player (Dottin), but fortunately we managed to get her again." She also acknowledged that there had been a lot of dropped catches in this tournament.

Amelia Kerr during the post-match press conference

The West Indies seemed to be pushing their luck throughout the game. Their powerplay score of just 25 resembled a pedestrian walk to the target. In the end, their loss by only eight runs was largely due to New Zealand’s poor fielding.

Pakistan leads the table for most dropped catches. In their must-win match against New Zealand, they dropped eight catches! It seemed like New Zealand had picked up the "dropping bug" from that match and carried it into their semi-final.

England dropped four catches against the West Indies and paid the price. They were not lucky like New Zealand. India dropped three catches against Australia and had to fly out early. Their coach, Amol Mazumdar, even commented, “I would not like to pinpoint anyone in particular over or those dropped catches. It happens in a game, and we just want to learn from this experience and move on.”

This raises the question of whether some of the teams had practiced their fielding enough. It’s common to blame the lighting at the ground for dropped catches. The question then arises as to why catches were also dropped in day matches on both those grounds. In fact, many of the dropped catches were routine, straightforward chances.

The final at the Dubai International Stadium on Oct 20, 2024, from 6pm

In T20 matches, catching is crucial, which is why agile, younger players are often preferred over more experienced ones. Biju George, the former Indian women’s team fielding coach, once told me during an interview that the key to good fielding is to always keep one’s eyes on the ball. Legendary fielder Jonty Rhodes had once remarked in an interview: “Always believe the ball is coming to you, wherever you are on the field.”

Let’s hope the final is free of dropped catches, as this would not only make for a better spectacle but also enhance the reputation of women’s cricket.

Brief scores:
New Zealand bt West Indies by 8 runs. New Zealand 128/9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4/22, Afy Fletcher 2/23) West Indies 120 for 8 in 20 overs (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17 not out; Eden Carson 3/29, Amelia Kerr 2/14) West Indies 120/8 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4/22, Afy Fletcher 2/23)