Tazmin Brits showed her class and continued her purple patch. Tazmin Brits looked like a player determined to score runs. Her 7th ODI ton and her 4th in 5 games enabled South Africa get over the line in the end with balls and time to spare. New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first and posted 231 in 47.5 overs with Sophie Devine scoring 85 and Nonkululeko Mlaba picking up 4 wickets for 40 runs for South Africa.
In the chase, it was the Tazmin Brits show as her 101 off 89 balls alongside an unbeaten 83 off 114 balls from Sune Luus got her side over the line in the end. Amelia Kerr got a couple of wickets but it was too little too late for the White Ferns in Indore. So, South Africa collects the points but New Zealand campaign looking tough with 2 losses in 2 games now.
Nonkululeko Mlaba’s 4-wicket haul outshines Sophie Devine’s 85 to limit New Zealand to 231 in 47.5 overs
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer came out to bat for New Zealand while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for New Zealand. Kapp gave South Africa the perfect start as she dismissed Bates for a golden duck. Kapp from over the wicket bowled a good length delivery around off-stump pitches and jagged back in a shade. The ball stayed low too. Bates leaned forward and squared herself up in order to defend it straight. She missed it on the inside edge and was wrapped on the front pad right in front of the stumps. Bates was given OUT. She reviewed in hope and saw three reds thereby burnt a review in process. Amelia Kerr walked out to bat next.
Kerr got off the mark with a glorious drive through the covers for a boundary. Ayabonga Khaka was given the ball from the other end. She bowled a maiden over. Kapp continued as Plimmer broke the shackles by glancing it to fine leg region for a boundary. Kerr then took the attack to Khaka hitting her for two boundaries in three balls through fine leg and then through mid-off region. Kapp bowled another maiden over. Khaka continued and bowled a decent over.
Kapp too kept things under check. Masabata Klaas came into the attack next. Plimmer pressed forward and drove through the covers for a boundary. Nadine de Klerk came into the attack next. Kerr thrashed de Klerk through the cover point region for a boundary. Klaas continued and gifted away 5 wides as bonus runs to the batting side. After 10 overs at the end of the mandatory first powerplay, New Zealand Women were 38/1.
Nadine de Klerk continued after the powerplay. She bowled a miserly over. Klaas continued and bowled a decent over as Amelia survived a close run out call at the bowler’s end. de Klerk continued and got rid of Amelia Kerr for 23 off 42 balls with 4 fours to her name.
Nadine bowled a slower ball on a length around fourth stump. Kerr leaned forward and looked to clip it away on the leg side. She got a leading edge which ballooned over the head of extra cover. Luus at mid-off moved to her left dived full length and took a good catch with both hands. Captain Sophie Devine came out to bat next. Klaas continued and gave away 5 wides as a bonus to the batting side. The 50 came up for New Zealand in 14 overs. Nadine de Klerk bowled a quiet over. New Zealand Women were 51/2 in 15 overs when the first Drinks Break was called by the umpires.
Kapp returned to the attack after the break. She kept a tight leash on the scoring. Nadine de Klerk continued as Devine broke the shackles by pulling the short ball through vacant midwicket region for a boundary. Devine hit the next ball through the covers for another boundary. Kapp continued as Devine flicked it away between midwicket and square leg for a boundary. The next ball Devine drove the bowler past diving mid-on fielder for a boundary.
The spin was introduced now as Nonkululeko Mlaba came into the attack. Plimmer worked it in the leg side by flicking it to vacant fine leg region for a boundary. Ayabonga Khaka came back into the attack and bowled a decent over as New Zealand reached 83/2 in 20 overs. Mlaba continued and kept things tight. Khaka too kept things under check.
Plimmer then hit Mlaba and broke the shackles by hitting it over the head over the bowler past mid-off and mid-on for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Plimmer and Devine. Khaka continued and bowled a tight over. Mlaba continued as New Zealand brought up their 100 in 24.3 overs. At the halfway stage of the innings, New Zealand were 101/2.
Chloe Tryon came into the attack and broke through for South Africa as she dismissed Plimmer for 31 off 68 balls with 4 fours to her name. Tryon bowled a full length delivery on the middle stump line. Plimmer danced down the pitch to take it on. She doesn’t hit it right off the middle of the bat. The ball was in the air and went to de Klerk at long-on. Brooke Halliday came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary to drive it through the covers for a boundary. Mlaba continued and bowled a tight over.
Halliday took the attack to Tryon as she swept it past short fine leg for a boundary. Halliday then reverse hit in front of square between point and cover for a boundary. Sune Luus came into the attack. She started her spell with a miserly over. Halliday was on a roll against Tryon as she swept her again between short fine leg and deep square leg for a boundary. Halliday once again a few balls later reverse swept past backward point to her right and did not bother to run. After 30 overs, New Zealand were 131/3.
Sune Luus continued and bowled a decent over. Klaas came back into the attack as Devine climbed onto her by flicking it away to fine leg fence for a boundary. Halliday then hit Klaas by nudging it to fine leg region for a boundary. New Zealand reached 148/3 in 32 overs when Drinks was called onto the field for the second and final time in the innings.
Luus continued after the break as the 50-run stand came up between Halliday and Devine. Devine reached her half-century off 66 balls as her rich vein of form continued in this tournament. Her second fifty against South Africa. Klaas continued and bowled a decent over. Luus too kept things under check. Klaas bowled a miserly over yet again.
Devine then took on Luus and hit her for back-to-back boundaries by heaving it away on the leg side through midwicket and then through deep backward square leg as well. Devine survived a run out scare as the opportunity was missed by South Africa. Nadine de Klerk came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Mlaba returned to the attack and got rid of Halliday for 45 off 37 balls with 6 fours to her name.
Mlaba from over the wicket tossed it up full around the off-stump turning back in. Halliday got down on one knee and went for the big slog sweep. She mistimed it completely as she got a top edge that went straight up in the air. Mlaba called for it herself and moved to her left to take the comfortable catch. Maddy Green came out to bat next. She got off the mark straightaway.
South Africa appealed against Devine for LBW but it was a waste of a review as Devine got an inside edge onto the pads. The decision stood and the review was lost. Mlaba kept things tight. Nadine de Klerk came to bowl the 40th over. Green survived a run out scare as she got home in her crease. At the end of 40 overs, New Zealand were decently placed at 195/4 with a big 10 overs that lay ahead for both teams.
Mlaba struck again as she removed Green for 4 off 7 balls. Mlaba from around the wicket bowled a length delivery on the leg stump line. Green went for the reverse sweep and failed to control it. She spooned it in the air. Anneke Bosch at backward point was aware and dived to her left and completed the terrific catch. Isabella Gaze came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Gaze lunged forward to drive it straight but got an outside edge along the ground to short third man for a boundary as the 200 came up for New Zealand in 40.5 overs.
Kapp came back into attack as Gaze cut the last ball away of the over between short third man and backward point for a boundary. Devine then took on Mlaba and came down the track to hack it down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Gaze was then run out at the bowler’s end for 10 off 9 balls with 2 fours to her name. Jess Kerr came out to bat next. Devine then slapped Kapp by standing tall and pulling it in front of square between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary.
Mlaba then struck a major blow by dismissing Devine for 85 off 98 balls with 9 fours to her name. Mlaba bowled a full length delivery on the leg stump line. Devine was forward trying to work the ball away from the midwicket fielder. It went straight through her attempted across the line shot and hit the back pad and carted back on the leg stump. Lea Tahuhu came out to bat next. After 45 overs, New Zealand were 221/7.
Ayabonga Khaka came back into the attack. She removed Jess Kerr for 2 off 8 balls. Khaka bowled a length delivery pitching outside off-stump. Jess made room and got down on her back knee and swung across the line. She launched it high in the air and picked up de Klerk at the long-on boundary. She scrambled a few yards backwards and took it in front of her face. Eden Carson came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Mlaba continued and got rid of Tahuhu for 5 off 9 balls. She tossed it up outside the off-stump. Tahuhu took a big forward stride looked to drive it through extra cover. She hit it uppishly with Laura Wolvaardt at extra cover pacing a couple of yards to her right and took a one-handed stunner extending her hand. She threw herself into it and got her right hand in a fantastic position to pluck it out of thin air. Bree Illing came out to bat next.
Khaka came to bowl the 48th over. The innings ended with a run out. Carson went for the third run and was run out at the bowler’s end for 4 off 4 balls. Illing remained unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls as New Zealand’s innings folded for 231 in 47.5 overs.
Nonkululeko Mlaba was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with figures of 4/40 in 10 overs. Marizanne Kapp bowled well for her 1/34 in 8 overs. Ayabonga Khaka finished with 1/31 in 7.5 overs. Nadine de Klerk finished with 1/32 in 7 overs. Chloe Tryon bowled well for 1/24 in 3 overs. Masabata Klaas gave 36 runs in 7 overs while Sune Luus gave 32 runs in 5 overs. There were two run outs in the innings as well. This meant that South Africa needed 232 runs to win off 50 overs to get their first win in the competition.
Tazmin Brits’ Powerful Ton Helps South Africa Win the game with more than 9 overs to spare
Chasing 232 for the win, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits came out to open the batting for South Africa while Jess Kerr had ball in hand for New Zealand. Wolvaardt made her intentions clear by square driving it to the cover point region for a boundary. Loads of wides were also given in the first over. Bree Illing had ball in hand from the other end. Brits managed to get a boundary away by a thick outside edge down to third man fence. Brits was in the zone as she hit the same bowler by punching it through cover point region for a boundary.
Wolvaardt then hit a glorious drive through the covers for a boundary. Wolvaardt opened the face of the bat with soft hands as the ball went away to the short third fence. Jess then got New Zealand the breakthrough dismissing Wolvaardt for 14 off 10 balls with 3 fours to her name. Jess bowled a short of a good length around off-stump inswinger from Jess Kerr. Laura hung back and looked to tuck it away on the leg side. She missed it on the inside edge and wore it on the front pad right in front of the stumps. The appeal was initially turned down. The White Ferns reviewed and got the decision overturn in their favour. Sune Luus came out to the middle next.
Illing continued and bowled a decent over. Jess Kerr continued as Luus creamed her through the covers for a boundary. Illing continued as both batters were at the same end. But the run out opportunity was missed by the White Ferns. Captain Sophie Devine came into the attack next. She delivered a quiet over even as another runout opportunity was missed. Luus finally broke the shackles by crunching Illing through the off-side as she cut it away past the right of diving backward point fielder for a boundary.
Luus then leaned forward and timed it past the right of diving extra cover for a boundary. The 50 came up for South Africa in 8.2 overs. Lea Tahuhu came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. She bowled a decent first over as after the end of the powerplay, South Africa were 54/1.
Devine continued as Birts hit her straight as an arrow for a boundary down the ground. Brits tickled Devine for a boundary to the fine leg fence a few balls later. Tahuhu bowled a decent over. Amelia Kerr came into the attack next. Luus took the attack to Kerr by getting down on one knee and slog swept it aerially on the leg side and the ball sailed over deep midwicket for the maximum. Brits hit Tahuhu for a boundary through deep midwicket where Plimmer could not stop the ball. The 50-run partnership came up between Brits and Luus. Brits then drove the bowler as the ball flew between keeper and short third man for a boundary.
Amelia Kerr continued as Brits punched off the back foot between cover and backward point for a boundary as the fielders could not chase the ball. Brits took the attack to Amelia as she drove her through the covers for a boundary. Tahuhu continued but Brits was on a roll as she smashed the fast bowler down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. After 16 overs, South Africa were 99/1 as the players and umpires paused for the Drinks Break.
Amelia Kerr continued as the 100 came up for South Africa in 16.2 overs. Luus then shuffled across down on one knee and swept it very fine. The ball went away to the fine leg region for a boundary. Eden Carson came into the attack next. She bowled a miserly first over. Devine continued as Brits welcomed her back by launching it over the bowler’s head past mid-off for a boundary as Brits reached her fifty in 44 balls. Brits next took on Carson and swept her away past fine leg fielder and away to the fence.
At the end of 20 overs, South Africa were well-placed at 119/1. Bree Illing came back into the attack. She bowled a decent over in her second spell. Carson continued as Brits took her on and smashed over long-off by coming down the track and whacked it over long-off fielder. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. Illing continued as Brits hit another boundary crunching down the ground past the bowler for a boundary.
Eden Carson continued as Luus got the outside edge away to the third man fence. Luus played on the front foot and played with an angled bat. She got an outside edge running past the keeper’s right pad into the third man fence. Brits got into the act as she stepped down the crease and converted into a full toss. The flat batted wallop it between bowler and umpire. The ball raced away to mid-off fence. Amelia Kerr came back into the attack. She bowled a decent over. At the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the chase, South Africa were comfortably placed at 156/1.
Jess Kerr returned to the bowling crease. Luus completed her fifty her 16th one at that in 76 balls. Amelia continued as Brits hacked the full toss down the ground past the bowler for a boundary between mid-off and long-on. Jess continued as Brits struck through the off-side by throwing her hands at it and cut it between cover and backward point. Amelia continued as Brits survived a close stumping appeal as her foot was just inside the crease.
Tahuhu came back into the attack. She bowled a decent over. South Africa reached 182/1 in 30 overs. Brooke Halliday came into the attack next. Brits completed her remarkable hundred as her rich vein of form continued. This is her 7th ODI ton and her 4th in last 5 ODIs. She got there in 87 balls. Tahuhu broke the gigantic partnership as she got rid of Brits for 101 off 89 balls with 15 fours and a maximum to her name.
Tahuhu bowled from over the wicket short of a length delivery around middle stump line kept a bit low. Brits cleared her front leg and looked to play the pull shot. She missed it on the inside edge and the ball crashed onto the stumps. Drinks was taken at this stage. Marizanne Kapp came out to bat next and got off the mark for a couple of runs. Kapp then hit Tahuhu by driving on the front foot to the left of mid-off who misfielded as the ball ran away to the wide long-off fence for a boundary.
Amelia Kerr continued as Kapp hit her by carving it away into the gap at backward point and short third man for a boundary. Halliday continued and bowled a waist high full toss above the waist as the ball was scooped away to the fine leg fence. The 200 came up for South Africa in 33.5 overs. The free hit yielded a single for Luus. Amelia continued and got the prized scalp of Kapp for 14 off 15 balls with 2 boundaries to her name.
Amelia bowled a tossed up leg break pitched outside the off-stump line. Kapp was down on one knee slogging it down the ground. She connected off the bottom of the bat launching the ball high in the air but not long. Jess Kerr at mid-off settled underneath it and took the good catch. Anneke Bosch came out to bat next.
Luus played an innovative shot by shuffling well outside off-stump and paddled it between the keeper and short fine leg for a boundary. Amelia got another wicket as she dismissed Bosch for a duck. She flighted delivery on length and leg stump line. Bosch took the invite and stepped down the pitch. She launched it high in the air off the bottom of the bat. Suzie Bates at mid-on called for it and backtracked the ball to get underneath it. She went down on her back while completing the catch. Sinalo Jafta came out to bat next.
Jess Kerr continued and bowled a decent over. Luus then whipped Amelia off the back foot through the midwicket region as the ball raced away to the fence. Luus was in a hurry to finish this game off as she crisply swept into the leg side through the deep midwicket region for a boundary. Jess continued as Jafta got into the act as she smashed her down the ground past mid-on for a boundary.
After 40 overs, South Africa were 228/4. The winning moment came through Sune Luus as she hit Carson over the infield over cover point region as the ball raced away to the fence for a boundary. South Africa won this game by 6 wickets with 55 balls to spare. Luus remained unbeaten on 83 off 114 balls with 10 fours and a maximum to her name while Jafta remained unbeaten on 6 off 14 balls with a boundary to her name. 16 extras given by fielding side.
Amelia Kerr was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand with figures of 2/62 in 10 overs. Lea Tahuhu finished with 1/27 in 6 overs. Jess Kerr finished with 1/41 in 7 overs. The rest of the bowlers went wicketless. South Africa win by 6 wickets as New Zealand suffered their second defeat in two matches. Tazmin Brits was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon moves to Guwahati for tomorrow’s game as England takes on Bangladesh in a crucial game at 3 PM IST on 7th October, 2025. Both teams started their campaign with a win. England on paper are a better team. Which team will come out on top? Time will tell.
Let’s see how the game unfolds tomorrow in Guwahati between England and Bangladesh.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025: India Makes It 2 Wins Out Of 2 With Win Over Pakistan