Preview: New Zealand vs West Indies – Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal

Who: New Zealand vs West Indies
What: Second semifinal, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
When: Friday, October 18, 6pm (14:00 GMT)
Where: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s unrecorded substance sum begins astatine 10:30 GMT

West Indies and New Zealand conscionable successful a semifinal befitting of a tourney that has defied the odds.

Australia, the grounds six-time winners and existent holders, were eliminated connected Thursday by a South Africa broadside fixed small anticipation of exacting revenge connected the squad that defeated them connected location ungraded successful the last of the past edition. The Australians had been connected a 14-game winning streak astatine T20 World Cups. The 3 teams astir fancied to halt Australia’s defence, England, India and Asia Cup winners Sri Lanka didn’t adjacent marque it retired of the radical stage.

New Zealand had mislaid 10 T20 internationals successful a enactment earlier their daze 58-run triumph against India successful their opening game. A effect the Indians, arguably, ne'er recovered from. West Indies, meantime, person 1 of the stars of the tourney successful their skipper Hayley Matthews, but they, similar their Kiwi opponents, were regarded arsenic agelong shots to marque it retired of their group.

“No 1 had america to get to this stage,” Matthews said up of the semifinal. “So, we’re each beauteous blessed that we’ve made it here, but … the job’s conscionable not finished. We’re … hopefully acceptable to play a truly large crippled due to the fact that we don’t privation to conscionable travel to this World Cup to say, ‘Hey we’ve made the semifinals and we’re blessed with that’.”

West Indies’ lone erstwhile quality successful the last came successful 2016 but that did effect successful a win. That excessively went against the grain, arsenic they bushed an Australian broadside searching for a 4th consecutive title.

“We’re ever astatine our champion erstwhile we’re enjoying ourselves and being truly vibrant successful the field,” Matthews added. “I’m conscionable encouraging each 1 of the youngsters to spell retired and bask themselves. Yeah. it’s a World Cup semifinal, and it’s a immense game, but we’re inactive playing the aforesaid crippled that we learned successful the backmost yards of our homes and besides connected the streets successful the Caribbean – so, conscionable bask it.”

Since New Zealand’s wretched tally came to an extremity with their opening triumph against India, lone Australia person taken the upwind retired of the Kiwis’ sails. It was, however, a chastening acquisition for New Zealand, who were bowled retired for 86 successful an 80-run defeat. Indeed, Sophie Devine’s broadside were the favourites to decorativeness bottommost of a radical of death, which besides included Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

“We don’t privation to get excessively precocious oregon excessively low, and that’s truly cardinal for america to marque definite that we play with that level of emotions,” said Devine, who could go the archetypal Kiwi skipper to assistance a Women’s World Cup. “It is different crippled and we’re trying to support things truly akin successful presumption of the build-up and the mentation we’re doing.”

New Zealand vs West Indies: Head-to-head record

New Zealand bask a 17-5 vantage implicit the West Indies successful their 23 T20 encounters, including 2 Super Over wins.

One lucifer ended successful a “no result” owed to a washout.

New Zealand’s champion effect astatine T20 World Cup

Runners-up: 2009, 2010

West Indies’s champion effect astatine T20 World Cup

Champions: 2016

Form guide: New Zealand

The White Ferns opened their World Cup run with a triumph implicit pre-tournament favourites India, and closed their radical signifier by knocking them retired with a triumph implicit Pakistan. Their lone nonaccomplishment successful the tourney came against Australia.

Last 5 matches: W W L W L

Form guide: West Indies

The West Indies volition look to proceed their three-match winning streak successful the tourney and spell each the mode to the final.

Last 5 matches: W W W L L

Toss and transportation condition

In the 8 group-stage matches played successful Sharjah, teams winning the flip person batted archetypal connected 8 occasions. Five of those 8 games person ended successful a triumph for the squad batting first.

One lucifer saw the toss-winning skipper choosing to vessel archetypal and triumph the match.

Weather forecast

Sharjah volition beryllium hot, humid and somewhat unforgiving successful the aboriginal portion of the match. The somesthesia is expected to hover astir 36 degrees Celsius (96.8F) with 50 percent humidity, making the existent somesthesia consciousness a spot higher.

Team news: New Zealand

New Zealand person been spared from large injuries to their accustomed playing XI and are expected to tract the aforesaid broadside that bushed Pakistan successful their past game.

Squad: Sophie Devine (captain), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wicketkeeper), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.

Team news: West Indies

The West Indies volition anticipation their prima batter Stefanie Taylor, who missed the crippled against England, is acceptable for the large lucifer and instrumentality her spot successful the XI.

Squad: Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (wicketkeeper), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton.