Wellington, April 4: The New Zealand women’s cricket team secured a 2-1 victory in their three-match ODI Series against South Africa. In the third ODI played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Saturday, New Zealand triumphed over South Africa by 66 runs.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first. Initially, their decision seemed justified as New Zealand lost three wickets for just three runs. However, a remarkable partnership of 211 runs between Maddie Green and Brook Halliday steadied the innings. Halliday fell for 98 runs off 124 balls, narrowly missing out on a century. Green remained unbeaten, scoring her third ODI century with a stellar performance of 141 runs off 128 balls, including 15 boundaries.
Thanks to the impressive innings from Green and Halliday, New Zealand posted a total of 306 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 50 overs.
Chasing a target of 307 runs, South Africa was bowled out for 240 runs in 46.1 overs. Captain Laura Wolvaardt was the top scorer for South Africa with 69 runs, while Anneke Bosch contributed 47 runs. Other notable scores included 29 from Chloe Tryon and 25 from Tazmin Brits.
For New Zealand, fast bowler Rosemary Mair delivered a devastating performance, claiming five wickets for 50 runs in 9.1 overs. Captain Amelia Kerr took two wickets, while Jess Kerr, Kelly Naim, and Nancy Patel each took one wicket.
Maddie Green’s outstanding innings earned her the Player of the Match award, and she was also named the Player of the Series, amassing a total of 239 runs across the three matches.