A famous victory is echoed for many generations. It is feted and written in indelible ink. But there is also defeat. In sport, barring one, others have to wade through the path of disappointment. Cricket is no different. As Suzie Bates, the veteran New Zealand cricketer, pumped her fists and celebrated with her teammates, a few tears rolled down the cheeks of Hayley Matthews, the West Indies captain. The cruel nature of sport. That was in brief about the second T20 World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and the West Indies.
In Dubai, South Africa stunned Australia, the six-time champions. Alyssa Healy, the designated Australian captain, couldn’t even take the field owing to a foot injury. In the post-match pressers, Healy’s eyes too were moist. So, it is New Zealand who will take on South Africa in the summit clash in Dubai. Once again, one of the two sides have to wear the mask of defeat. Both teams have had their share of heartbreaks in T20 World Cups.
Around 14 years ago, New Zealand lost by the barest of margins in the final against Australia. Sophie Devine, the current New Zealand skipper, smashed one down the ground off Ellyse Perry. Perry’s follow-through was such that she had to move towards her left side. Yet, in an attempt to save some runs, she got a boot on the shot. All that Devine could do was collect a single. The next moment, Australia were ecstatic, and Devine was on her haunches.
Some 13 years later, South Africa faced a similar fate, and it was once again Australia who emerged triumphant. Chloe Tryon, one of South Africa’s senior players, ended up covering her face with her hands. At that juncture, with cameras zoomed in on her face, she might have wished to magically disappear from the Cape Town ground.
The big question still remains. Who will win the World Cup? Maybe it is South Africa. They seem to have a good understanding of the prevailing conditions in Dubai, having played quite a few matches at that ground in the World Cup. Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka have generally set the tone with the ball upfront. Khaka is also a gutsy bowler in the slog overs. Meanwhile, Nonkululeko Mlaba is a clever spinner. On the other hand, Laura Wolvaardt, the skipper, and Tazmin Brits have been in top form with the bat.
Even if one of them fails, South Africa have a bit of depth in the batting order. Anneke Bosch put on a wonderful exhibition of her pyrotechnics in the semifinal. Tryon herself can pack a punch. And never forget the ubiquitous Kapp. Another key feature of South Africa’s victory over Australia was their intensity in the field.
New Zealand, their opponent, came into the World Cup on the back of reversals against Australia and England. However, under Devine, New Zealand have bounced back in style. As Georgia Plimmer, the New Zealand opener, told RevSportz: “It has been a hard six months with some of our results, but the way Devine has been able to bring the group back, believing in our skills, and what we are doing is good enough, has been massive for our team.”
Incidentally, Plimmer’s batting has turned out to be one of the main parts of New Zealand’s engine. Brooke Halliday too has made a couple of significant contributions down the order. In the bowling department, it isn’t just about Amelia Kerr as Eden Carson has chipped in with eight wickets, with Rosemary Mair picking seven.
The hallmark of New Zealand’s success is they haven’t been overly reliant on the trio of Bates, Devine and Amelia. In a nutshell, New Zealand too would fancy their chances. Maybe Bates, who is known as the ‘Michael Jordan’ of the New Zealand camp, would once more provide the finishing touches.
In a little more than 24 hours, a set of jubilant players will be jumping up and down with the trophy in their hands. With the defeated lot, one happens to see the pain and agony. There is no reward for them despite putting in so much investment for over a year. A few of the players would be drowned in tears, while a couple of others might be on the floor. And the rest could be gazing at the stars with a blank look on their faces.