With the first three T20Is of the series being abandoned, South Africa and New Zealand were hoping for some game time and an opportunity to secure a win. The two teams finally got the chance and clashed in the 4th T20I, where New Zealand came out on top with an all-round display.
After being asked to bat first, South Africa made 172/4 courtesy of Laura Wolvaardt’s 9th half-century. She stitched a 53-run partnership with Anneke Bosch and a 37-run partnership with Sune Luus but eventually fell to Hannah Rowe’s delivery. After her dismissal, Luus and Chloe Tryon provided the finishing touches to South Africa’s total.
Amongst the bowlers, Jess Kerr (2 wickets), Hannah Rowe (1 wicket), and Molly Penfold (1 wicket) shined and restricted the South African side to a total that could be easily chased.
New Zealand got off to a bad start in the chase, losing both openers, but Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine rescued the team. Kerr scored 70 runs off 46 balls, hitting 9 fours, while Devine hit a 37 ball 61, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes. They had an unbeaten 135-run partnership, which helped them defeat the Proteas by 8 wickets. Devine and Kerr’s partnership is also now the highest partnership for the third wicket for New Zealand.
A record partnership of 135 Runs between Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine for 3rd wicket and NZ seals the deal.
It's 1-0 after 3 abandoned games with 1 more to go. #CricketTwitter #SAvNZ pic.twitter.com/fEp7gZTtAx
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 14, 2023
For South Africa, Masabata Klaas and Tumi Sekhukhune did take a wicket each but were expensive, conceding 29 runs and 46 runs, respectively. The fact that the team was without star players Marizanne Kapp and Lara Goodall did not help their cause either.
With a strong display of their batting, New Zealand chased down their target with 7 balls to spare.
Vaishnavi is a passionate author with an unwavering love for cricket, particularly women’s cricket. Her writing reflects her deep admiration for the sport and her dedication to promoting women’s participation in it. When she’s not following the latest cricket matches, Vaishnavi can be found engrossed in books or enjoying movies.