5 best bowling performances of 2024 Women's World Cup ft. Amelia Kerr
New Zealand defeated South Africa in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday, October 20, to lift the trophy for the first time in what was a great day for Kiwi cricket.
The tournament as a whole was filled with surprises and upsets, with favorites Australia not making it to the final and challengers India and England not even qualifying.
It was predominantly a bowlers' World Cup, with the wickets playing mostly in favor of the bowlers, and almost every match was filled with some stellar bowling efforts. On that note, let's look at the best of the lot: the top five bowling performances in this edition of the T20 World Cup.
#5 Amelia Kerr (NZ) vs AUS, 4/26 in four overs
We're gonna be seeing Amelia Kerr's name a lot on this list, with the New Zealand all-rounder finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Her stellar spell against Australia, albeit in a losing cause.
Australia batted first in Sharjah, and were well poised at 79/1 after 11 overs when Amelia Kerr came in to bowl her second over, with a well-set Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry at the crease. Kerr first dismissed Mooney with an enticing flighted delivery before returning in the next over to get the big wickets of Perry and Grace Harris off consecutive deliveries.
She then conceded only four runs in the 18th over, also picked up the wicket of Georgia Wareham to finish with 4/26 in her quota of four overs. She also contributed a 31-ball 29 with the bat, but the White Ferns eventually lost the match by 60 runs, with Australia producing a solid bowling performance of their own.
#4 Afy Fletcher (WI) vs ENG, 3/21 in four overs
The West Indies stunned England in the final group-stage match of the tournament to top Group B and make it to the semi-finals. While the limelight fell on opener Qiana Joseph, whose attacking half-century led the Windies' run chase, it was Afy Fletcher's terrific spell that restricted England to 141/7 on a good batting surface, allowing them to win.
The leg-spinner picked up a wicket off her first ball right after the powerplay, dismissing the set opener Maia Bouchier, robbing England's innings of any momentum. She returned in the 15th over for her second spell, and right as England was about to accelerate, she struck in consecutive overs to remove the dangerous Amy Jones, and later Charlie Dean, to finish with figures of 3/21.
Her skillful display was one of the main reasons the West Indies got to the semi-finals. She finished with 10 wickets in five matches, finishing as the fourth-highest wicket-taker.
#3 Nonkululeko Mlaba (SA) vs WI, 4/29 in four overs
South African left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was one of the best players at the World Cup and was one of the driving forces behind their success. She bowled a really good spell in their first match against the West Indies to set the tone for the rest of their campaign.
Some tight bowling from Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka left the Windies reeling at 15/1 in four overs after being put into bat by Laura Wolvaardt. Mlaba made her introduction in the 5th over, striking immediately with a slider that cut through Qiana Joseph's attempted drive.
She was then reintroduced in the 12th over, with the West Indies reeling at 62/3 and trying to rebuild their innings, but Mlaba had other plans. She castled Shemaine Campbelle and had Chinelle Henry off back-to-back deliveries to break the back of their innings, also picking up the wicket of Aaliyah Alleyne in her final over.
She won the POTM award for her spell of 4/29 as the Proteas easily chased down their eventual target of 119.
#2 Amelia Kerr (NZ) vs SA, 3/24 in four overs
Amelia Kerr won the POTM award in the final of this T20 World Cup for her all-round efforts that contributed to the White Ferns' 32-run win over the Proteas. She did brilliantly to stick around and stitch together partnerships, finishing with a 38-ball 43 with the bat. However, it was her contribution with the ball that was more important.
South Africa had a very strong powerplay and threatened to take the game away with the score 52/1 in seven overs when Kerr bowled her first over.
After keeping things tight in the first over, she picked up the huge wicket of Laura Wolvaardt, poking a hole through the Proteas batting order. She followed it up with another big wicket, this time of Anneke Bosch, who played a brilliant knock in the semi-final, in the last ball of the same over.
That double-strike broke the back of the Proteas chase and Kerr added to her wickets tally in her final over, getting the wicket of the hard-hitting Annerie Dercksen. She finished with figures of 3/24 in four overs, winning both the POTM and the Player of the Tournament awards, capping off an unforgettable night for her.
#1 Megan Schutt (AUS) vs NZ, 3/3 in 3.2 overs
It was one of the biggest upsets of the tournament to see Australia get knocked out in the semi-finals, but the heavyweights certainly had their moments and played some outstanding cricket in the tournament. A prime example of that was their 60-run win over eventual champions New Zealand, with Megan Schutt's spell in that game being one of the best in T20 cricket.
After Australia made 148/8 in the first innings at Sharjah, the White Ferns needed a fast start if they wanted to chase the total down, but unfortunately, they came up against an in-form Megan Schutt. She bowled a maiden in the first over, rattling the stumps of Georgia Plimmer in her 2nd.
New Zealand struggled to find momentum in their chase but kept wickets in hand when Schutt returned for her second spell in the 12th over. She picked up the big wicket of set batter Amelia Kerr and conceded only one run, and could've had another had it not been for a dropped catch.
She then closed things out in the final over, bowling Eden Carson and completing the formalities, finishing with mind-boggling figures of 3/3 in 3.2 overs, with an economy rate of less than 1.