What, especially, could be better than the women cricketers smashing the final of the World T20 Cup out of the ground?
Cricket is a minority women’s sport in a small nation. The White Ferns had lost 10 matches in a row, albeit to the big two Australia and England. They had lost 16 of their last 19.
Even in the final, captain Sophie Devine and the team were underdogs. One South African, previewing the contest, spoke of the uniting impetus and fervour that a divided country of 68 million gave to its sporting teams. She said the one-point Rugby World Cup win over the All Blacks in France last year could well be followed by another victory over New Zealand.
After losing the toss and batting, the White Ferns gambled on an aggressive start, helped by Suzie Bates.
Imagine what the win means for her, the 37-year-old playing in her 334th international match, the most by any woman anywhere. She is a champion Otago sportsperson of the 21st century, proving her worth yet again.
A former captain, she had chipped in with runs all tournament. These days a part-time bowler, she took responsibility for the last over in the tight semifinal against the West Indies and delivered.
In the type of twist of fortune that sport can deliver, the White Ferns avoided the favourites Australia in the knockout stage and England altogether. Australia was upset by South Africa in one semifinal and England, narrowly on run rate, failed to make it from its group. New Zealand’s early comprehensive win against the third of the big three, India, gave it the chance to make it from the "group of death".
Amelia Kerr (24), with ball and bat, the player of the tournament, has taken her place among the premier stars of New Zealand sport. How inspiring that she wrote stories at school about winning a World Cup with Bates and Devine (35). These two are now, in Bates’ words, the grandmas of the team.
The win was worth $NZ3.8 million to the team. This country’s top cricketers are now on better wickets, especially when they secure women’s India Premier League or Australia Big Bash League contracts.
Other representative cricketers can do better than in the past, especially significant when grassroots numbers are still small. Unfortunately, the attempt to start a separate women’s league in Dunedin two years ago fizzled out.
With top women’s rugby players being professionals, booming basketball providing various scholarships and other options and football being a global game, the biggest women’s participation sport, netball, has challenges securing the best talent.
On Sunday night, though, the Silver Ferns scored one of those special wins against big brother Australia. These, too, are to be savoured.
Another astounding weekend highlight was the upset men’s cricket test triumph. Despite four consecutive defeats and the absence of their best player, Kane Williamson, they beat juggernaut India in Bengaluru. In a drama-filled game, this was only the Black Caps’ third test win in India and the first since 1988.
Apparently, too, a group called Team New Zealand sailed well in a contest on the other side of the world. It won an ancient trophy called the America’s Cup for an unprecedented third time in a row.
While this was quite some achievement, it was far from an upset — unlike the big surprise from the Women’s T20 World Cup. It culminated early yesterday morning in the White Ferns’ emphatic triumph in the final in Dubai.
