In a World Cup full of surprises, with both England and India failing to reach the group stage and Australia falling short in the semi-finals, New Zealand’s place in the final may be the biggest shock of all.

They were placed in what was considered the tougher group with India and Australia, and had lost their ten previous T20s in the run-up to the tournament.

But eight of the players who came against England and defending champions Australia appear to have worked in their favor as they were put under immense pressure and tested significantly. It means they can handle the bottlenecks as they arise.

The general feeling was that 128-9 was below par against the West Indies, with their batters trying to accelerate, but both the pitch and accurate bowling did not allow for a free-flowing style of play.

With the advantage of knowing the state of the surface when it came to defence, their spinners turned away ruthlessly as Kerr continued her impressive tournament, taking her total to 12 and topping the wicket-taking charts so far.

Carson provided a perfect start by bowling the one-dimensional Joseph, who swept over the line. Shemaine Campbell then hit three coverage against Bates before Taylor, struggling with a sore knee, missed a sweep.

When Matthews raided Lea Tahuhu in the 11th over to leave the West Indies 51-4, their hopes rested solely on Dottin’s shoulders and she seemed fully prepared to accept the responsibility, clubbing 23 from Tahuhu in the 16th over .

But Kerr and Bates, who so often carry New Zealand alongside Devine, handled the pressure expertly to seal the win, despite the first ball of the final being beautifully driven for four by Zaida James, sending a few shockwaves through the camp of the White Ferns. .

Many players could not hold back their tears of joy at the last ball, as they came one step closer to history against all odds.