![Suzie Bates Sophie Devine will look to take her team one step further [Image: Getty]](https://www.womenscricinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/389086.webp "Sophie Devine will look to take her team one step further [Image: Getty]")
New Zealand have reached the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final after a long wait of 14 years, beating West Indies in the semi-finals. They will take on South Africa. However, whoever win the title, will be the first one. Ahead of the all-important final, one of New Zealand‘s most experienced players, Suzie Bates shared her experience.
“We’re the grandmas of the team,” shared Suzie Bates a day ahead of the final, referring to herself, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu. “We’re still standing, I think. Leah with her bionic knee, Sophie just having dealt with a lot of stuff as captain over the last few years and me just keeping on going and going.”
“It’s just a really special moment when you know there’s been some tough times and the three of us in particular have been through the ups and downs and to have that moment and knowing we’d made the semifinals which gives yourself a chance was really special so we look after each other us old girls and try and keep up with some of the younger players,” she further added.
SEE ALSO: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Final, South Africa vs New Zealand – Match Prediction
However, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu played a key part in the semi-final win. While the former bowled the all-important final over, with 14 runs to defend, the speedster took the big wicket of Hayley Matthews to bounce back in the game as well. Moreover, Bates also played a key role with the bat.
Meanwhile, Sophie Devine has been doing well as the leader of the group and she will step down from the role at the end of the tournament, hoping to finish it on a high note on Sunday. Notably, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu have a combined experience of 402 T20Is among them as well.
“I think she’s been absolutely brilliant in her captaincy” – Suzie Bates on Sophie Devine
“I think she’s been absolutely brilliant in her captaincy,” Bates said. “Just so calm. I think the decisions she’s made in these conditions have been brilliant. So, it’s unfortunate that she’s stepping aside, but thankfully it’s just as captain.”
However, a title win would be a great way for the veteran trio to finish a fantastic tournament, but would also send a great message to every woman in their 30s, shared Bates, who will become the most capped player in women’s internationals as well.
SEE ALSO: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Eden Carson Stars As New Zealand Trump West Indies For Final Spot
“I probably take it for granted, but the fact that I’m over 35 and still competing and that I’ve never given up on my dream, I think as females you do feel societal pressure to give up on pursuing your dreams,” Suzie Bates said. “People expect you to do other things at a certain age, and that is what is so exciting about women’s sport, it is just growing and growing and we are breaking down barriers every single day.”
“It’s not just the young players, it’s players in our team coming back after having children. I’ve even been in the team with two parents [Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu] who are able to have a career and have children. I just think we can be a little bit ageist and even more so with females in terms of what they can and can’t do. So I’m happy to wave that flag,” she added.
“I keep myself young by hanging out with people who are a lot younger. When I hang out with people my same age, I’m like, ‘oh yeah, that’s right, grow up!’ But there’s a lot of potential to challenge those notions. At the end of the day, age becomes a factor, but as long as you can keep contributing, it shouldn’t matter,” Bates again shared.
“When you play team sport, your goal, your ultimate goal is to be a world champion” – Suzie Bates
![New Zealand celebrate a sweet victory versus West Indies in Semi Final 2 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. [Image: Getty]](https://www.womenscricinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/389378.webp "ICC T20 World Cup 2024: \"We're The Grandmas Of The Team\" - Suzie Bates Ahead Of The Final 2")
“When you get one opportunity in a career to have a home World Cup and you don’t quite nail it, that comes with a lot of disappointment,” Suzie Bates said. “We had a really great fan base during that World Cup and we had some really tight matches and we were so close to getting through to that semi-final stage, so personally that’s really motivating.”
SEE ALSO: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: “Not Many People Would’ve Picked A West Indies-New Zealand Semifinal, But That’s The Beauty Of It” – Sophie Devine
“Especially from where we’ve come from, when a team’s been able to bounce back after ten losses in a row, the pride and the resilience that we have as a group makes it so special and we’ve never given up on each other. And that’s the support staff, [head coach] Ben Sawyer, he’s been through the wringer trying to get this team believing in themselves, and a huge credit has to go to him for just keeping on backing that same group when results weren’t coming our way,” she expressed.
“When you play team sport, your goal, your ultimate goal is to be a world champion. It’s been all those tournaments that have motivated me, and I know Sophie as well. It feels like it’s just all built to this moment and we get one more opportunity tomorrow to have a good dig. The most overwhelming thing about it was it has felt like a really long journey to get back to this point,” Suzie Bates concluded.
However, Sunday’s final will start at 18:00 local time (7:30 PM IST) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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