The White Ferns made it the week of New Zealand after winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup cricket on Sunday, as it will go down in country’s sporting annals.
New Zealanders celebrated a weekend of sporting triumphs around the world on Monday but this time, of course it is not about rugby World Cup in sight, they had the party for record three times as champions and runners up for as many times out of nine editions.
On this unforgetable week, the Team New Zealand won the America Cup in the early hours of Sunday morning local time and it continued until the White Ferns cricketers lifted the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup on same day following the Test win for the men's Black Caps cricket team in India and a stunning 64-50 upset victory for the Silver Ferns netball team against world champions and fierce rivals Australia.
Meanwhile, another celebrated triumph came on Sunday in Zhejiang province, China, where the Paddle Ferns canoe polo team won the women's world title with a 6-1 win over Italy. Overwhelmed Sports Minister of New Zealand Chris Bishop said in a statement, “I think this was a weekend that will go down in New Zealand's sporting annals.”
"All five teams should know that their country is enormously proud of them and I think Kiwi sports fans can be forgiven if they're caught yawning at work today."
However, on Sunday at the Dubai Stadium, an excellent allround shone by Amelia Kerr Amelia Kerr shone with bat and ball as New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs in the final to win the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the first time.
Kerr was top scorer with 43 runs as the White Ferns posted an imposing 158 for five combining with Brooke Halliday (38) to help her side to the second-highest score in an ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final.
Kerr then shined with the ball to take three wickets including both Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch inside 10th over which was the turning point of the game in favoure of New Zealand.
New Zealand women, who went very closer to win their maiden title in 2010 but bitterly missed the trophy after going down to Australia by three runs at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.
This was very special for for Suzie Bates, who isthe most cap of the New Zealand team and was the member of the 2010 sqaud, when her team failed to chase the paltry target of 106 runs, as they were all out for 103 runs.
This time Bates might be the happiest member of the team, being success after waiting for 14 years when she was noteable contributor with scoring team’s third highest 32 runs off 31 balls and her team had 32 runs victory to triumph the first ever title of the Women’s T20 World Cup.
