All action from the first ODI between the White Ferns and South Africa from Hagley Oval
Amelia Kerr masterclass as White Ferns seal impressive T20 series win
An Amelia Kerr masterclass led the White Ferns to a comprehensive T20 series win over South Africa, sealing a 4-1 victory with a 92-run victory in Christchurch.
With the series already sealed after wins in Auckland and Wellington over the weekend, the White Ferns skipper put the full stop to his team's victory.
The 25-year-old scored a career-best 105 off just 55 balls – a major factor in New Zealand's 194-6 – and He surpassed his unbeaten inning of 101 against Zimbabwe last month Beating South Africa on its own.
Having achieved two previous wins while chasing targets, the White Ferns defended the total in Christchurch, finding only 102–9 in reply to their 194–6.
While captaincy can be a burden that weighs heavily on a player's shoulders, Kerr continues to show that leadership has the potential to take his game to another level.
Despite Hagley Oval being the worst ground for hitting boundaries in Women's T20, Kerr hit 19 fours and one six in her innings and gave South Africa no reply.
With the ball, Kerr claimed 2-6 from three overs, complemented by Lee Tahuhu's 3-15 and Sophie Devine's 2-8, in what could prove to be the pair's final match on home soil after retiring from One Day Internationals.
And with the white fern' Defend your T20 World Cup crown On the horizon, Kerr – player of the tournament in New Zealand's 2024 triumph – is now emerging as one of the game's most influential players.
The tour and the Kiwi cricket summer will conclude next week when the White Ferns host South Africa in three One Day Internationals before departing for their final World Cup preparations.
After losing the toss and losing opener Izzy Gaze (1), Kerr carried on with his innings to perfection and added more than half the runs to New Zealand's total.
The 45-run partnership with Georgia Plimmer (27) was ended by Tumi Sekukhune (3-32), who had Devine caught and bowled with the first ball for good measure, reducing the White Ferns' 54-1 to 54-3.
Combined with Brooke Halliday (26 off 24), Kerr survived South Africa before tightening the screws, reaching 50 in 34 balls, with Halliday also reaching a 50-run stand in 33. The captain's slog-sweep for the first six of the innings took the score past 150, before Kerr went for four runs over third man with the ramp in the 90s.
In a statement of Kerr's ruthlessness, he spent just two balls in the nervous 90s, another pull for four and a slice over point took him to his second T20 International century, as a lofted drive over mid-off brought up his career-best score.
Looking towards the end, Kerr departed when she could only find deep midwicket. But in keeping with family matters, Kerr's place at the crease was taken by elder sister Jess, who gave South Africa a target of 195 runs to win on the last ball of the innings.
South Africa's top order, which was responsible for achieving the target of about 10 runs per over, was destroyed by the White Ferns in the power play.
Chloe Tryon (1) fell to Tahuhu's first ball, caught by Plimmer at mid-off, while Sune Luus (13) fell to Nancy Patel (1-18) trying to clear the infield.
Anneke Bosch (9) could only top-edge Tahuhu to the deep square leg boundary to Halliday, and when Devine had captain Laura Wolvaardt (9) caught behind – due to a gaze review – South Africa were 41–4 after six overs.
Kerr's introduction resulted in South Africa suffering their fifth blow when a googly dismissed Nadine de Klerk (6), and she had Anne Dirksen (23) caught at deep midwicket, as the Proteas' required run rate was over three per ball by the time Carabo Maceo hit his first ball on the stumps off Devine.
Arguably South Africa's find of the series, Cara Reineke (10) had the potential to add some credibility to the scorecard. But when she dismissed Devine off the bowling of Flora Devonshire (1-19), the White Ferns were all done.
New Zealand 194-6 (A Kerr 105; Template 3-32, Sekhukhune 3-32)
South Africa 102-9 (Derksen 23; Tahuhu 3-15)
New Zealand won by 92 runs