South Africa got off to a flamboyant start to their run chase of 232. Tanzim Brits and Sune Luus toyed with the bowling unit as they not only hammered boundaries but rotated the strike on a regular basis. Tanzim Brits‘ score was 79 runs in 66 balls, whereas Sune Luus was 49 runs in 74 balls, and both the batters were unbeaten. New Zealand looked clueless against a positive and attacking batting approach ,which stunned the mighty White Ferns in the 2nd innings, where they were quite favorites to defend it easily.
Tanzim Brits & Sune Luus take South Africa to a flyer
South Africa needed a brisk start to chase down the 232 target. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt was dismissed cheaply on 14 runs in 10 balls by Jess Kerr. Proteas played a lot of positive cricket and astonishingly were eager to convert loose balls into boundary ones. Tanzim Brits and Sune Luus made sure that the early wicket departure of the skipper didn’t affect the run chase.
The pitch, which was expected to deteriorate given 1st innings, how it panned out, the surface became a bit easier to bat on. South Africa looked eager to make a statement after the England debacle. The powerplay overs yielded 54 runs for the Proteas, and most importantly, they didn’t lose any more wickets after Laura Wolvaardt. Sophie Devine tried to entice the batters, but Tanzim & Sune played out her smartly.
Tanzim Brits asserts dominance
The peculiarity of both the batters, Tanzim & Luus, was that they didn’t play a false shot even after playing a string of dot balls. The duo were quite keen to rotate the strike. Amelia Kerr was targeted in the 15th over, where Sune Luus and Tanzim Brits scored 11 runs of that over. Runs were coming quite smoothly. At the first drinks break, New Zealand’s score was 99-1, needing another 133 runs to win from 34 overs.
New Zealand players looked clueless against the solid attacking as well as the defense of the Proteas batters. Tanzim Brits. In the 19th over, Tanzim Brits got to her half-century in just 44 balls on a treacherous surface where batting looked quite easy. The 100-run partnership between the two batters was also completed. At the halfway stage, New Zealand’s score was 156-1 and they were cruising for a dominant win unless a dramatic collapse happens.
Who’s winning, South Africa or New Zealand
South Africa would be hoping that Tanzim Brits smashes a match-winning ton. With only 76 runs left to win the match from 25 overs, South Africa are looking the sure-shot favorites to win the match. Proteas would be aiming to win the match with atleast 5 overs remaining as NRR (Net Run Rate) most likely will come handy later in the tourney after the humiliating defeat which they faced against England. As of now, South Africa’s NRR is -3.773, and they need a massive boost to make a strong claim for the semi-finals as there might be cutthroat competition.
New Zealand, on the other hand, badly needs a cluster of wickets. Sophie Devine hasn’t been able to pull a rabbit out of the hat. The White Ferns have been a bit ordinary in defense. Amelia Kerr & Eden Carson haven’t been able to pose any threat with their variations. Sophie Devine wasn’t able to create panic in South African batters’ mind. due to which runs kept coming on a consistent basis.. There was some dew seen in the field, and that might be the reason for a potential New Zealand defeat unless something extraordinary happens.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Sophie Devine Leads New Zealand’s Strong Start