All-rounder Sophie Devine delivered a commanding performance to steer New Zealand to a comfortable six-wicket victory over South Africa at Eden Park, giving the hosts a 2-1 advantage in the ongoing T20I series. Chasing a target of 150, Devine’s unbeaten half-century proved decisive after she had earlier made an impact with the ball.
New Zealand completed the chase with relative ease, finishing on 152/4 after South Africa posted 149/7 in their innings. Devine’s composed 59 not out marked her 22nd half-century in T20 internationals and underlined her influence across all facets of the match. She had also claimed two wickets earlier in the day, later reiterating her view that South Africa’s total was slightly below par.
The hosts faced a tense moment midway through their chase when the dismissals of Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday in the 10th over left them needing 82 runs from the final 10 overs. Devine, however, shifted gears brilliantly, accelerating from a cautious start to dominate the scoring. She found particular success on the leg side, capitalising on occasional inaccuracies from the South African bowlers to keep New Zealand firmly on course.
While Maddy Green supported her with a steady knock at the other end, it was Devine who dictated the tempo, anchoring the innings until the finish. South Africa’s attack struggled for consistency in the closing stages, with a sequence of no-balls eventually bringing the contest to an early conclusion.
Earlier, the visitors had endured a sluggish start with the bat. Annerie Dercksen provided a spark after arriving at the crease with the score at 9/2, striking key boundaries to ease early pressure. Her effort allowed captain Laura Wolvaardt to settle in, although her 37 from 39 balls later appeared insufficient in setting a competitive total.
New Zealand’s disciplined bowling effort played a crucial role in restricting the scoring. Jess Kerr generated early movement during the powerplay, while Devine and Suzie Bates effectively varied their pace through the middle overs. South Africa’s innings stalled significantly as they went without a boundary for a prolonged stretch, losing regular wickets during that phase.
A late flourish from Kayla Reyneke helped lift the total to 149/7. The young all-rounder, who finished unbeaten on 34 off 20 balls, showcased her power-hitting in the final over by striking multiple boundaries straight down the ground. Despite her spirited cameo, the total ultimately proved insufficient as New Zealand sealed the win and moved closer to clinching the series.
