Come T20 World Cup in England, Bates was again the second-highest run-scorer for the team, this time behind newly appointed captain Aimee Watkins. And they faced a familiar foe in the final — England. Katherine Brunt, Nicky Shaw and Jenny Gunn ran through the New Zealand side bowling first.

The ‘Black-eyed Brunt’ was exceptional and did not give New Zealand any chance to make a comeback in the game. New Zealand coach Gary Stead was stunned. “They’ve won two World Cups and today felt a little bit like the amateurs playing the professionals,” Stead said at the time. “It’s the first time we’ve been knocked over and overall they are setting the standards at the moment and it’s something we need to get better at.” 

Better they got and fast. In the very next year, New Zealand breezed through the group stage of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Bates was again the second highest-run scorer for her team followed by Devine with third most runs. Come final, there was one assurance for them, England was nowhere near the trophy as Charlotte Edwards’ team had crashed out of the tournament in the group stage itself. This time, it was Australia. The hurt Australia who could not win the ODI World Cup at home and could not even make it to the final of the maiden T20 World Cup.

If New Zealand had promising young players like Bates and Devine, Australia, too, had Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy. In that final, it was Devine’s turn to take matters into her own hands. With the ball, she took key wickets of Leah Poulton, Australia’s highest run-scorer of the tournament and Lisa Sthalekar.

In what later proved to be the low-scoring thriller, it was Devine who took over the batting role as well. With everyone collapsing around her, Devine stood there like a rock. Neither Perry nor Sthalekar could shake her. With 29 runs required off the last two overs, she went berserk against Rene Farrel to smash a four and a six. For the final over, the battle was between youngsters. Perry vs Devine.

Devine ran her heart out to run at least two runs on every ball she faced. Four back-to-back two runs later the equation was simple. Hit a six off the last ball and win it for New Zealand or hit a four off it and take it to super-over. Two 20-year-olds with the weight of expectations on their shoulders. This was the closest New Zealand had ever come to the World Cup Trophy since going all the way in 2000.

Perry darted one and Devine drove it straight down the ground. On any other day, it would have been a boundary but it wasn’t meant to be. Perry’s boot came in. Sthalekar collected the rebound and Australia were the champions of the world.

Devine was heartbroken. Inconsolable at that. She and her team kept on being heartbroken in every passing tournament since. Under Bates and Devine’s captaincy New Zealand never came this close to winning the title once and for all. They had to wait 14 more years just to make it to the final.