Victorious New Zealand captain Sophie Devine spoke about her side’s eight-wicket win over West Indies in Friday’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final here.
Devine was in the New Zealand XI that lost in the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final back in 2009, when the White Ferns lost to England.
She was in the team again in 2010 when the Kiwis were beaten by Australia.
So Friday’s superb win over West Indies means that a 35-year-old Devine will make it a hat-trick of T20 World Cup final appearances when she leads her team out against South Africa on Sunday in Dubai.
“It has not sunk in at all,” Devine said, after her team had wrapped up a thrilling eight-run win.
“I’m still trying to get my brain back from being fried out there. Really privileged to be playing in a World Cup final,” she said.
Few backed New Zealand as potential finalists after a tricky last couple of years, particularly when they drawn in a difficult group alongside Australia, India, Pakistan and rising-force Sri Lanka, an ICC
report said.
But here they are, back at the business end of another major tournament – an achievement that makes Devine proud of her team’s mental fortitude.
“The thing that makes me proud is the character we have had for the last 12-18 months. Results have not gone our way, we have gotten a fair bit of stick from people on the outside,” Devine said.
“I’m really excited about this last match and we have nothing to lose and that is a great space to be. We will celebrate this tonight and we gotta win this now,” she said.
“They (South Africa) are an incredible side. Laura (Wolvaardt) leads them from the front, (Marizanne) Kapp is one of the best players in the world. (Anneke) Bosch in the game against Australia… but we have to focus on ourselves, and hope the cricketing gods are on our side as well,” Devine said.
New Zealand set up Sunday’s meeting with South Africa by overcoming a dangerous West Indies side in an entertaining semi-final in Sharjah.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Devine’s team were in danger of limping to a disappointing total.
But some excellent cameos late on from Brooke Halliday (18 from 9) and Isabella Gaze (20 from 14) boosted the score to 128/9.
And in reply, the Kiwis took wickets early, removing their opponents’ chance for the sort of early momentum that saw them thrash England in the group stage.
There was still threat however, especially with captain Hayley Matthews still out in the middle at the midway point of the innings, and again when the explosive Deandra Dottin slammed 23 runs from a single over to spark a nervy finish.
“The last two to three overs saved our bacon, with the way Izzie (Isabella Gaze) batted,” Devine said.
“We thought 130 would be a competitive total, we knew we were in with a great shout. With the ball, taking wickets regularly always helps. But when you have players like Hayley and Deandra, the game is never over,” she said.
“She (Dottin) is a quality player. You can set the field for her but she can just hit it over the top. We put down a couple of chances, and had we taken them it might have been easier. Credit to West Indies. We always knew it was going to be a tough game and huge respect to them,” Devine said.
With 15 runs required off the final over, Devine turned to her teammate Suzie Bates – another veteran who appeared in both the 2009 and 2010 finals.
And Bates, who hadn’t bowled previously in the tournament, held her nerve after being hammered for four off the first ball of the over, to finish the job for her team.
“She has been harping on at us in training that she has been practicing for this,” Devine said.
“With just three fielders out, that is pretty clutch and to finish things off, it was cool for Suzie to do it,”
she said.
Bates and Devine will be hoping for one last win on Sunday, to truly finish the tournament off in style.
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