Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer steamroll South Africa
They put on a 146-run partnership, the fourth-highest for New Zealand in women's T20Is to seal victory
15/03Result
1st T20I (N), South Africa Women tour of New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, Mar 15 2026
Player of the Match
15/03Result
1st T20I (N), South Africa Women tour of New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, Mar 15 2026
Player of the Match
Match Centre
Statistics
Best performances - Batsmen
AC Kerr
78(44) 11x4 - 2x6
Control %80%
- Productive Shot
- pull
- 23 runs
- 4x4 - 0x6
GE Plimmer
63(44) 5x4 - 3x6
Control %77%
- Productive Shot
- off drive
- 14 runs
- 1x4 - 1x6
Best performances - Bowlers
SFM Devine
- O4
- M0
- R12
- W4
- Eco3
| 1W | ||||
| 2W | ||||
| 1W | ||||
- FTFULL TOSS
- YYORKER
- FFULL LENGTH
- GGOOD LENGTH
- SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
- SSHORT LENGTH
JM Kerr
- O4
- M1
- R13
- W2
- Eco3.25
| 1W | ||||
| 1W | ||||
- FTFULL TOSS
- YYORKER
- FFULL LENGTH
- GGOOD LENGTH
- SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
- SSHORT LENGTH
Match Details
Toss
New Zealand Women , elected to bat first
Player Of The Match
Series result
New Zealand Women led the 5-match series 1-0
Match number
Season
Hours of play (local time)
14.45 start, First Session 14.45-16.15, Interval 16.15-16.35, Second Session 16.35-18.05
Match days
15 March 2026 - night match (20-over match)
Umpires
TV Umpires
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
Scorecard Summary
NEW ZEALAND WOMEN 190/7 (20 OVERS)
- Amelia Kerr78 (44)
- Georgia Plimmer63 (44)
- Masabata Klaas2/15 (4)
- Nadine de Klerk2/32 (4)
SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN 110/7 (20 OVERS)
- Tazmin Brits29 (35)
- Kayla Reyneke*24 (18)
- Sophie Devine4/12 (4)
- Jess Kerr2/13 (4)
Scorer: Chetan Kumar | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar
END OF OVER:20 | 12 Runs | SA-W: 110/7 (81 runs required, RR: 5.50)
- Kayla Reyneke24 (18b)
- Masabata Klaas6 (3b)
- Rosemary Mair3-0-30-0
- Sophie Devine4-0-12-4
6:02pm That will be all from us for this game. The men's sides of these two sides will go at it soon, and you can catch all the action here. Until next time, from Chetan and myself (Shashwat), it is goodbye!
Amelia Kerr, the New Zealand captain is also the Player of the Match: Came in earlier than I thought. Just building a partnership, with how deep we bat, could take the game on, and tried sticking to my strengths. When batting in the powerplay, you are trying to access gaps to hit boundaries. Nice to have a big partnership with her. (On her form) Don't believe too much in form. Have to take each game as it comes. If you are putting in the work and focusing (on your strengths), you hope it comes off more often than not. I don't think it (captaincy) changes too much. Biggest thing is to play the style and brand this group wants to play. The intent with the bat...sometimes, you lose wickets but if each player can have the same intent. When the bowlers had the ball in their hand, the slower balls and the yorkers, it was outstanding. Pleasing to see all three facets put together. It is about putting repeated performances together and to keep that consistency going.
Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa captain: Definitely not our best day. All credit to NZ - they outplayed us in all aspects. The way we started both innings did not help. Have a couple of days to reset. (On what let them down) Execution. They had plans and they nailed them. We mis-executed today - we will have some good chats tomorrow and get better.
5:50pm A clinical Kiwi display. They put up a mountain of runs, and then backed it up with a superb bowling display, led by Jess Kerr at the top. Devine then kept denting the visitors through the middle and at the death, meaning that SA, at no point, mustered the requisite momentum to chase down this tall total.
It was not a fond evening with the bat for SA anyway, with almost all their batters struggling for rhythm. The good thing, if it can be called that, is SA have four more games in this series, and they will have a chance to make it right in a couple of days from now.
19.6
4
Mair to Reyneke, FOUR, a boundary to finish, but that is only a footnote in this contest. A commanding win for the hosts! Length ball on the hips. Reyneke shovels it past short fine leg, but that does not matter in the grander scheme. NZ with a top display to begin the series, and they coast to a 1-0 lead!
19.5
1
Mair to Klaas, 1 run, back of a length outside off. Klaas tugs at it and drags it towards long on
19.4
4
Mair to Klaas, FOUR, slower ball that lands right in the slot on the stumps. Klaas gives herself room and smokes it between long on and deep mid wicket!
19.3
1
Mair to Reyneke, 1 run, full toss on middle and leg. Reyneke cloths it to long on
19.2
1
Mair to Klaas, 1 run, slower ball on a back of a length on the stumps. Klaas has a wild hoick at it and drop-kicks it into the square leg region
Bates may have taken a bang to the head as she fell, having leapt up. Good to continue, though
19.1
1
Mair to Reyneke, 1 run, slanted in full on middle and leg. Reyneke looks to go inside-out and gets just enough on it to clear Bates at extra cover
Mair to bowl the 20th
Match Coverage
All Match NewsAmelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer steamroll South Africa
They put on a 146-run partnership, the fourth-highest for New Zealand in women's T20Is to seal victory
