In the T20I series of the South Africa Women’s tour of New Zealand, the hosts had won the series by a dominating scoreline of 4-1. The White Ferns were at their absolute best once again as the team performed as a unit in every match. Amelia Kerr, the skipper, had a fabulous series as she was clinical with the ball and contributed quite a few runs at the top. However, South Africa Women looked lost altogether as they only seemed to hit the right notes in the second game, where they outsmarted the hosts. The New Zealand Women had a merry series altogether as they didn’t seem to break a sweat in securing this series.
1st T20I – New Zealand beat South Africa by 80 Runs
The 1st game of the series was held at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui and the New Zealand skipper, Amelia Kerr, had won the toss and elected to bat first. The batting prowess of the White Ferns was led by Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer, who scored timely half-centuries. Masabata Klaas and Nadine de Klerk performed well with the ball as they picked 2 wickets each. They reached a total of 190 at the end of 20 overs, and the target set for the Proteas was 191. The South African women looked quite lost as they didn’t seem to generate any momentum with the bat, and they had no answer to the stunning bowling of Sophie Devine, who picked up 4 wickets. The New Zealand Women won by 80 runs, and the player of the match was Amelia Kerr.
2nd T20I – South Africa beat New Zealand by 18 Runs
The 2nd game of the series was held at Seddon Park, Hamilton and the Proteas skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, had won the toss and elected to bat first. Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt had scored some valuable knocks in the 1st innings, and they had an explosive finish to the innings, credit to Kayla Reyneyke, who scored 28 off just 9 balls. They finished at 177 at the end of 20 overs, and the White Ferns had to chase down 178. The New Zealand Women were off to a poor start as they lost a couple of early wickets, and Amelia Kerr was the only batter who looked promising in that batting order. Ayabonga Khaka had picked up 4 wickets in her spell to dismantle the hosts. The South African women had won the match by 18 runs, and the player of the match was Kayla Reyneyke.
3rd T20I – New Zealand beat South Africa by 6 Wickets
The 3rd game of the series was held at Eden Park, Auckland, and the Proteas skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, had won the toss and elected to bat first. The openers once again failed to deliver in the series, and the middle order came in to play quite early in the game. Wolvaardt took charge in the middle phase of the innings and was well complemented by Reyneyke at the end, as she scored 34 off just 20 balls. They reached a total of 149 for 7 at the end of the 20 overs, and the target set for the White Ferns was 150. The New Zealand Women were quite shaky off the blocks as they lost both their openers early, but Sophie Devine smashed a crucial half-century to take the side home. The New Zealand Women won by 6 wickets, and Sophie Devine was named the player of the match.
4th T20I – New Zealand beat South Africa by 6 Wickets
The 4th game of the series was held at Sky Stadium, Wellington and the South African skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, had won the toss and elected to bat first. Once again, the batting unit faced the issue of the top order not laying the foundation in the power play, and they were too slow to start. Jess Kerr bowled an exceptional spell, picking 3 wickets from just 4 overs. Annerie Dercksen walked in to bat at number 4 and scored a crucial half-century to get her side to a total of 159 after the 20 overs. The New Zealand Women had to chase down 160 to secure the series win. Sophie Devine was at the top of her game as she scored a marvellous 64 off just 34 balls to seal the deal for her side. The New Zealand Women won the match by 6 wickets, and Jess Kerr was awarded the player of the match.
5th T20I – New Zealand beat South Africa by 92 Runs
The 5th game of the series was held at Hagley Oval, Christchurch and the South African skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, had won the toss and elected to field first. Amelia Kerr, the captain fantastic, once again rose to the occasion and scored a breathtaking 105 off just 55 balls. Khaka and Tumi had picked up 3 wickets each, but Kerr was too much for them to handle. They finished at 194 for 6 wickets after the end of 20 overs, and 195 was the target to be chased down for the Proteas. The White Ferns were all over the batting unit of the South Africans as they lost 6 wickets for just 70 runs on board, and there simply wasn’t enough intent from the players. Tahuhu led the bowling attack with 3 wickets from her 4 overs, and she was well supported by Devine, Kerr, Patel and Flora. The New Zealand Women won by 92 runs, and Amelia Kerr was awarded the player of the match award. The White Ferns defended their fortress with a commanding 4-1 series victory over the Proteas.