A poster of the semi-final clash between New Zealand and West Indies.
Credit: X/@ICC
Sharjah: Buoyant New Zealand will seek to continue their inspirational run in the women's T20 World Cup when they face the West Indies in the second semifinal here on Friday.
New Zealand has undoubtedly been the story of the tournament so far in which they got the better of Asian sides India and Sri Lanka to make the final four from Group A, putting behind their 10-match losing streak before the competition.
With her towering presence, Sophie Devine has rallied the Kiwis troops impressively. Their success story features solid contributions at the top from Georgia Plimmer and veteran Suzie Bates, along with the all-round threat posed by Amelia Kerr further down the order.
Kerr has been at the forefront of the Kiwis attack with 10 wickets and 85 runs in what has been a largely low-scoring tournament, providing New Zealand with a lot of impetus.
Rosemary Mair has also been at the helm of New Zealand’s success in this World Cup with seven wickets on slow pitches of the UAE.
Eden Carson set up the tone for New Zealand’s high profile clash against India and the Kiwis will hope that the right-arm spinner is at the top of her game against the West Indies, who are coming off a huge win over England.
Hayley Matthews’ West Indies topped Group B and like New Zealand they also lost one game in the group stage, but overall the winners of the 2016 edition have put together robust performances.
The West Indies have qualified for their first semifinal since hosting the tournament in their back yard in 2018, while the biggest moment for the Caribbean side arrived in this edition when they pipped England in their last group stage match.
The West Indies had lost 13 matches in a row against England before the two teams met in their last Group B fixture, but their run-chase of 142 showed no signs of mental fatigue against this opponent.
Matthews teamed up with the young Qiana Joseph to shut England out of the tournament with a rapid 102-run stand in which both the batters brought up their respective half-centuries.
While Matthews is the only Caribbean batter to have crossed the 100-run mark in the competition, Sarah Taylor and Deandra Dottin remain vital cogs in their batting.
Spinners Afy Fletcher (8 wickets) and Karishma Ramharack (5 wickets) have been the most successful bowlers for the Caribbean side.
New Zealand hold upperhand against the West Indies when it comes to bilateral record, having won 15 out of 23 matches so far with two tied games and one without a result.
The winner of this contest will take on the triumphant team from the first semifinal, to be played in Dubai on Thursday between the six-time winner and defending champions Australia and South Africa.
The final will be played on Sunday in Dubai.