The last four of T20 World Cup 2024 will be a face-off between West Indies and New Zealand, which will take place on October 18 at the Sharjah grounds.
Neither was a favourite to make it this far before the tournament but both played their heart out to get here.
Both sides are now principles to the finals and the match will be played at Sharjah at 6pm local time.
West Indies and New Zealand’s Journey to the Semi Final
New Zealand began their tournament well, beating India by a good margin in their first encounter.
But they lost against Australia they came back strongly against Sri Lanka and Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time since 2016.
Their victory over Pakistan was especially last year, the left-arm spinner Fran Jonas who replaced Leigh Kasperek did a terrific job.
West Indies also had their backs against the wall after a defeat in the first match.
Their next three were and they finally registered stunning win over England in the final group match.
West Indies was without star all rounder Stafanie Taylor due to a knee injury, but Qiana Joseph came to the party, scoring an impressive 52 of 38 to ensure West Indies’ win over one of the favorites of the tournament.
Related Article : ICC Women T20 World Cup 2024: 1st Semifinal Preview
Key Players to Watch
Deandra Dottin has been the most effective player for West Indies in this World Cup.
She has made a total of 167.30 strike rate with 6 sixes of her which have contributed a lot to help her side to set higher run rate during the tournament.
Yet again another exciting factor in the forthcoming semifinal is that being an Australian player, Dottin is capable of single handedly turning a game around in couple of overs.
For New Zealand, Georgia Plimmer has scored most runs, 108 runs, in four innings at the age of twenty.
Her quick starts, especially the 53 that came off 44 balls against Sri Lanka have put her side in a position to build pursuing totals.
Plimmer is expected to fit just perfectly at the top and this will be important to New Zealand because the match is expected to produce few points.
That means, as the two teams gear up for the clash, fans have the chance to see an intense fight to determine which team will go to the final.
References:
Sportstar.com
ESPNCricInfo.com