DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a thrilling conclusion to the Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, opted to bowl first after winning the toss against New Zealand on Sunday. Both teams maintained their lineups from their respective semi-final victories, with South Africa impressively defeating defending champions Australia by eight wickets, while New Zealand narrowly overcame the West Indies by eight runs.

This marks the second consecutive time South Africa has reached the final of the tournament. They were the runners-up in the 2023 event hosted in their home country, where they lost to Australia by 19 runs, marking their best performance in World Cup history. On the other hand, New Zealand is making a return to the final for the first time since 2010. In their earlier attempts in the 2009 and 2010 tournaments, New Zealand fell to England by six wickets in London and to Australia by just three runs in Barbados.

With the 2024 T20 World Cup promising to produce a first-time champion, both teams look to capitalize on the moment. Notably, this is the inaugural encounter between South Africa and New Zealand in a T20 World Cup knockout stage. In prior group stage meetings from past tournaments, New Zealand leads with three wins compared to South Africa’s two.

Both teams finished second in their respective groups during the league stage. New Zealand started strong, defeating India in a crucial opener and also claiming victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but fell to Australia, which designated them as second in group A. Meanwhile, South Africa suffered a loss to England but bounced back by defeating West Indies, Scotland, and Bangladesh to secure their spot as the second place team in group B.

The pitch conditions at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium are favorable for hitters, with the average score during the powerplay on the rise as the tournament advanced, suggesting a potential for a high-scoring finale.

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**Lineups:**
**New Zealand:** Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (captain), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas
**South Africa:** Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka