Green and Muir guide White Ferns to ODI series victory

Maddy Green recorded an unbeaten century, while Rosemary Mair claimed career-best figures to help New Zealand secure a 66-run win in the third and final ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) One-Day International (ODI) against the Proteas Women in Wellington on Saturday.

Green’s 141* off 128 deliveries, including 15 fours, in partnership with Brooke Halliday’s 98 off 124 balls (13x4), helped the hosts post 306/7 in their 50 overs. Mair then returned figures of 5/50 as the Proteas were dismissed for 240 in 46.1 overs, sealing a 2-1 series victory for New Zealand.

South Africa won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first. The visitors made a superb start to the contest, with Ayanda Hlubi (2/47) and Tumi Sekhukhune (2/57) ripping through the top order with three early wickets, including Suzie Bates (0), Georgia Plimmer (1) and the in-form Amelia Kerr (0), to leave the hosts 3/3 in the fourth over.

With their backs against the wall, New Zealand responded with a half-century stand between Green and Halliday, pushing their side to 62/3 after 17 overs.

The experienced pair continued to rebuild the innings for the White Ferns, with both batters bringing up their half-centuries to propel the score to 127/3 after 31 overs.

Green and Halliday then upped the ante after reaching their respective milestones, bringing up a 200-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Nadine de Klerk (1/55) made the crucial breakthrough by finding Halliday’s edge, just two runs short of her century.

With the total on 215/4 with 10 overs to go, Green continued to lead the charge for the home side, advancing to her third ODI century as the White Ferns ended on 306/7 in their 50 overs, despite losing three more wickets through Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/70) and a run-out by Sekhukhune.

In their chase, South Africa’s opening pair of Tazmin Brits (25) and Laura Wolvaardt (69 off 68; 9x4) put on a 50-run stand to take the touring side to 65/0 after 12 overs before Brits departed off the bowling of Mair.

Another half-century stand between Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen (47) helped the Proteas maintain their momentum, with the captain bringing up her fifty to guide her side to 134/1 at the halfway mark.

The partnership was eventually ended in the 26th over, with Wolvaardt caught off the bowling of Kayley Knight (1/48) before her partner soon followed, dismissed by Mair, reducing South Africa to 149/3.

Anneke Bosch (3) was the next wicket to fall, mistiming a delivery from Mair, before Kerr (2/37) and Nensi Patel (1/40) claimed two more wickets to further curtail South Africa’s chase as the visitors reached 204/6 after 40 overs.

Despite a cameo from Chloé Tryon (29), the Proteas Women lost their remaining wickets, with Mair completing her five-wicket haul alongside scalps from Jess Kerr (1/45) and Amelia Kerr to hand New Zealand a 66-run victory and a 2-1 series triumph.

"I think after we had them three down, I think we just let the pressure off a little bit. We allowed them to get in," coach Mandla Mashimbyi said after the match. "We didn't squeeze them enough, I think, maybe in the next five overs, which allowed them to get in. That's one period that I think we could have done differently.

"And obviously, at the later stage, we could have also maybe just minimised the boundaries there into the last 10 (overs). And that's where they actually capitalised. I think those two moments for me were probably big moments in the game.

"I think our worry is where we need to tweak, where are the gaps," Mashimbyi said. "We just need to make sure that we get better. I thought the two young (fast bowlers, 21-year-old Hlubi and 27-year-old Sekhukhune who) were good up front. They actually complemented each other very well. One was swinging the ball well, and the other one was bowling hard lengths. I thought they did a really good job for us. But I think overs after that sort of released the pressure, which allowed Green and Halliday to get in. The rest is history."

Wolvaardt, with scores of 16, 69 and 69, was the third-highest run-getter in the series, but the big innings South Africa batters are known for didn't come too frequently. Green in the third ODI and Amelia Kerr (179 not out) in the second got the big centuries for New Zealand, while four South Africa batters apart from Wolvaardt got half-centuries. But there was nothing too substantial in the two games they lost.

"I think from an individual point of view, yes (some batters did well) but I think from a partnership point of view, I think we could have done a lot better," Mashimbyi said. "Quite disappointed that we don't have hundreds. We normally pride ourselves in scoring hundreds, so the whole tour we didn't get a hundred. We're normally the team that actually scores hundreds and this time around we didn't do that. So it just shows when you don't get partnerships, it's not going to get you hundreds."

Squad

Laura Wolvaardt (captain, Fidelity Titans), Anneke Bosch (Fidelity Titans), Tazmin Brits (DP World Lions), Nadine de Klerk (World Sports Betting Western Province), Annerie Dercksen (Garden Route Badgers), Ayanda Hlubi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Sinalo Jafta (DP World Lions), Ayabonga Khaka (DP World Lions), Masabata Klaas (Fidelity Titans), Suné Luus (Fidelity Titans), Karabo Meso (DP World Lions), Nonkululeko Mlaba (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kayla Reyneke (World Sports Betting Western Province), Tumi Sekhukhune (DP World Lions) and Chloé Tryon (DP World Lions).

Results

First ODI Sunday, 29 March at 3am (SAST) - Hagley Oval, Christchurch - SA won by two wickets

Second ODI Wednesday, 1 April at Midnight (SAST) - Basin Reserve, Wellington - NZ won by two wickets

Third ODI Saturday, 4 April at Midnight (SAST) - Basin Reserve, Wellington - NZ won by 66 runs