The New Zealand Women’s cricket team, affectionately known as the White Ferns, has been a consistent presence in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup since its inception in 2009. Over the course of eight editions spanning 14 years, the team has experienced both triumphs and disappointments at the mega ICC event. Despite promoting talented players and occasionally reaching the semi final, they’ve been unable to win a trophy. This article looks into the White Ferns’ T20 World Cup campaigns, highlighting key performances, memorable moments, and the team’s evolution in the fast-paced format of the game.
2009, Runners-up
The inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009 saw New Zealand make a strong debut in the tournament. Led by captain Aimee Watkins, the White Ferns showcased their prowess in the shortest format of the game. They successfully navigated the group stage, securing victories against tough opponents in Australia, West Indies and South Africa. The team’s performance was particularly notable in the semi-final, where they defeated India to advance to the final, which was against England. Even though they tried their best, New Zealand didn’t win the cup. They finished as runners-up, which still was a great achievement in their first T20 World Cup campaign.
2010, Runners-up
The 2010 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup saw New Zealand aiming to build on their runners-up finish from the previous year. Led by Aimee Watkins, the White Ferns entered the tournament with high hopes. Notably, the team won their early games and topped their table with wins against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and made it to the semi-final. They beat the West Indies in an exciting semi final and advanced to the final for the second year in a row. In the final, they played against Australia. However, despite their efforts, New Zealand couldn’t win the cup.
2012, Semi-final
The 2012 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup marked New Zealand’s third appearance in the tournament. Under the leadership of Suzie Bates, who had taken over as captain, the White Ferns entered the competition with high expectations. They performed well in the group stage, securing important victories against Sri Lanka and South Africa, losing only to West Indies, to advance to the knockout phase. The semi-final was a big game that could have taken them to the final but wasn’t to be as they went down fighting in a close and exciting match against England.
2014, Group Stage
In 2014, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was held in Bangladesh, and from this year the ICC increased participation to 10 teams. New Zealand was placed in Group A with Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ireland. Despite winning three matches out of 4, New Zealand was very unfortunate that they didn’t qualify for the knockouts. The competition was so tough that the top three teams from group A had the same 6 points, but Australia and South Africa went through, courtesy of their better run rate.
2016, Semi-final
In the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup, New Zealand was placed in group A with Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Ireland. In the group stage, New Zealand topped the group with 8 points after defeating all the teams from their group, hence they advanced to the semi-final where they played against the strong West Indies side but unfortunately lost that match by a close margin of 6 runs.
2018, Group Stage
New Zealand had a challenging campaign in the 2018 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. They competed in Group B alongside Australia, India, Pakistan, and Ireland. Despite having a strong squad, the White Ferns struggled to find consistency in their performances. They managed to win two matches but lost as many, including a crucial game against India. This mixed record meant they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the semi-final, finishing third in their group. The tournament highlighted areas for improvement for the team as they looked ahead to future competitions.
2020, Group Stage
New Zealand faced disappointment in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in Australia. Placed in Group A alongside India, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, the White Ferns had a mixed bag of performance. They won two matches against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but suffered crucial losses to India and hosts Australia. These results meant they finished third in their group, missing out on a semi-final berth. Despite having experienced players like Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, the team struggled to consistently perform at their best when it mattered the most.
2023, Group Stage
New Zealand had a disappointing run in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in South Africa. The White Ferns were placed in Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Despite having a talented squad, they struggled to find consistency in their performances. New Zealand managed to win only two of their four group stage matches, defeating Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but losing to Australia and hosts South Africa. This record wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the semi-final, and they finished third in their group, once again failing to progress to the knockouts.
