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Kerr, Devine Star as New Zealand Crush South Africa in 1st T20I

New Zealand posted a formidable 190/7 after being put in to bat, powered by a 146-run partnership between Amelia Kerr (78) and Georgia Plimmer (63). Sophie Devine then dismantled South Africa's chase with a brilliant bowling spell of 4/12. The visitors never recovered from an early collapse and were restricted to 110/7. The comprehensive 80-run win gives New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

Key Points: NZ Women Beat SA by 80 Runs in 1st T20I

  • Amelia Kerr scores explosive 78
  • Sophie Devine takes 4/12 with ball
  • Georgia Plimmer adds 63 in 146-run stand
  • South Africa bowled out for 110
  • NZ takes 1-0 series lead
2 min read

Kerr, Devine star as New Zealand cruise past South Africa in 1st T20I

Amelia Kerr's 78 and Sophie Devine's 4/12 lead New Zealand to a dominant 80-run victory over South Africa in the opening T20I.

"A dominant all-round display led by captain Amelia Kerr and a four-wicket haul from former skipper Sophie Devine - Match Report"

Mount Maunganui, March 15

A dominant all-round display led by captain Amelia Kerr and a four-wicket haul from former skipper Sophie Devine powered New Zealand to a commanding 80-run victory over South Africa in the opening T20I of the three-match series at Bay Oval on Sunday. With the comprehensive win, New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the series.

After opting to bat first, the White Ferns piled up an imposing 190/7 in their 20 overs, riding on an explosive innings from Kerr and a fluent knock by opener Georgia Plimmer.

The hosts suffered an early setback when Isabella Gaze was run out in the opening over, but Plimmer steadied the innings with a brisk 63 off 44 balls, striking five fours and three sixes. She shared a match-defining 146-run partnership with Kerr for the second wicket that put South Africa under sustained pressure.

Kerr led from the front with a blistering 78 off just 44 deliveries, smashing 11 fours and two sixes to anchor New Zealand's innings. After the partnership was broken in the 14th over, quick contributions from Sophie Devine (12), Brooke Halliday (13) and Maddy Green (10) helped the hosts maintain momentum and push the total close to the 200-mark.

For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba picked up a wicket each, while Masabata Klaas bowled a tidy spell, conceding just 15 runs in her four overs.

In reply, South Africa never recovered after a shaky start. Opener Sune Luus (10) fell early before captain Laura Wolvaardt (0) departed cheaply, leaving the visitors struggling at 17/2 in four overs.

Tazmin Brits tried to rebuild the innings with a fighting 29 off 35 balls, while Chloe Tryon chipped in with a 12-ball nine and Nadine de Klerk made a run-a-ball 19. However, regular wickets prevented South Africa from mounting any meaningful challenge.

Devine was the pick of the bowlers, delivering a superb spell of 4/12 in her four overs to dismantle the Proteas middle order. She received good support from Jess Kerr, who conceded just 13 runs in her four-over spell while also picking a couple of wickets to dent the visitors' hope.

Late resistance from Kayla Reyneke (24 not out) helped South Africa reach 110/7, but the target proved far beyond their reach.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Sophie Devine with 4/12! That's a match-winning spell. Shows the value of experience. South Africa looked completely out of sorts after that top order collapse. Need to bounce back strong in the next one.
A
Aman W
Great to see such a dominant win. But honestly, the coverage here in India for these series is minimal. Star Sports should show these matches live, not just highlights. How will the sport grow if we don't watch global cricket?
S
Sarah B
That 146-run partnership was the game. Plimmer and Kerr took the game away. South Africa's bowling lacked penetration in the middle overs. They missed Shabnim Ismail's fire today.
V
Vikram M
Clinical stuff from NZ. Makes me excited for the women's IPL next month! Hope our Indian players are taking notes on this kind of aggressive batting. Well played. 👏
K
Kriti O
A bit one-sided, but good cricket. South Africa's batting order seems too fragile. They need to find consistent performers apart from Wolvaardt. On to the next match!

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