In the 1st match of the ODI series between hosts New Zealand Women and South Africa Women, the visitors sealed the game with a last-ball six off the bat of Kayla Reyneke.
South African women won the match by 2 wickets, and it was an absolute entertainer. The visitors will take the lead in the three-match series, and Laura Wolvaardt, the South African skipper, will be hoping that she can win this series after a humiliating loss in the T20I series.
New Zealand Women had put up a fine display of batting in the 1st innings as Maddy Green scored a solid knock of 85 off 83 balls, including 9 fours. She was well supported by Amelia Kerr, Isabella Gaze and Jess Kerr, as they made short but impactful contributions for the side. They put up a total of 268 on board, and 269 was the target set for the South Africans to take the lead in the series.
They got off to a terrible start in the innings as they lost 2 wickets for just 30 runs, including the wicket of the skipper Laura Wolvaardt. Then, Annerie Dercksen and Sune Luus had stitched an incredible partnership of 123 runs to bring the side back into the chase.
Kayla Reyneke, the debutant, had walked out to bat at number 8 when there were 79 runs left to win the match. She fought well alongside Nadine de Klerk to take the chase right down to the wire.
Then, the Proteas needed 14 runs to win off the last over. The first two balls were singles, and then Reyneke smashed a biggie over the midwicket area and brought down the equation to 6 off 3. Then in the next ball, Reyneke denied the single, and it seemed like she knew exactly what she was doing.
Taking on full responsibility on her shoulders, she retained the strike for the last ball, when 6 runs were needed to win. Kayla Reyneke generated all the power she could and struck a massive six, clearing her front leg. She was awarded the Player of the Match award for her stunning knock of 42* off just 32 balls, to take her side over the line.
Kayla Reyneke became just the fifth player across men and women categories to receive the Player of the Match award on debut in multiple formats, as she received one on her T20I debut as well in the series opener against Pakistan last month. She scored a quickfire knock of 29 off just 16 balls, including a boundary and 3 sixes.
In that game as well, she scored a six off the last ball of the innings to win the game for South Africa. She will be hopeful that she can carry her form in the series, and she is already a superstar in the making for the South African Women.
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