NZ-W vs SA-W 2025/26, NZ-W vs SA-W 3rd T20I Match Report, March 20, 2026

New Zealand 152 for 4 (Devine 59*, Dercksen 1-17) beat South Africa 149 for 7 (Wolvaardt 37, Reyneke 34*, Devine 2-21, Bates 2-10) by six wickets

Sophie Devine made Eden Park her own little playground as she brought up her 22nd T20I half-century and carried New Zealand to a 2-1 series lead over South Africa with two games to go. She had also picked up a couple of wickets earlier in the day and backed up her words when she said South Africa’s 149 for 7 was a little bit under par.

New Zealand have never chased more than 150 at home. The small boundaries in Auckland were a friend in that regard, particularly with Annerie Dercksen and Ayanda Hlubi occasionally straying down leg. South Africa tightened up though and the wickets of Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday in the 10th over left the chase in a tense situation. New Zealand needed 82 off 60 with six wickets in hand. Devine was 13 off 10.

A pull shot off Chloe Tryon to start the 11th over signalled the shift in momentum. The square boundaries are bigger than the straight ones at Eden Park and yet Devine kept finding them. She collected 46 runs at a strike rate of 219 on the leg side. At the time the fifth-wicket partnership had hit 50, Maddy Green had made only 12 off 15. It was all Devine from the other end and it was all Devine till the end with New Zealand wrapping up the chase with six wickets and eight balls to spare.

South Africa had to wait 23 balls for the first boundary off the bat on Friday. Dercksen made it worth the wait with a neat little flick off her legs that travelled all the way for six over deep midwicket. Dercksen arrived with the score on 9 for 2 in the third over and put the pressure back on New Zealand.

While she was at the crease, she was responsible for more then half the boundaries her team scored. Thanks to that, Laura Wolvaardt could drop anchor and go at her preferred pace, though finishing with 37 off 39 wasn’t a good look for the captain.

A pitch with 10mm of grass offered enough for the seamers and even someone with their eye in was found out when Devine went into the pitch. The little legcutter – a response to being hit for six the previous ball – found Dercksen in two minds, whether to attack or defend, and took down her off stump. South Africa lost 59 for 5 between the eighth and the 18th overs, going 38 balls without a boundary. Suzie Bates continued to find more success with the ball. She took a wicket in her first over and took responsibility in the death as well.

Kayla Reyneke (34 not out off 20) was frustrated for a large part of her innings. At one point, she clocked a Rosemary Mair yorker and since it had a bit of room, she prepared to glide it between point and short third for four but didn’t open the face of her bat enough. When the ball didn’t get off the square, she slumped over, a grunt caught on the stump mic. South Africa were 121 for 7 in the 19th over. She was 10 off 11.

Then Mair missed her length and was clubbed down the ground for six. It highlighted how a bowler had to be perfect against a batter of such power. Reyneke is immense when she can free her arms and go down the ground. She grew up playing in boys’ teams. She came into this series with a 75 off 63 for Western Province, who were 93 for 6 and still ended up winning the Pro50 game thanks to their 20-year-old phenom. She captained South Africa in the Under-19 World Cup when they went to the final last year. She’s marked for big things.

Reyneke’s presence forced Jess Kerr to go wide in the final over – too wide. The umpire penalising her made the bowler shift her line and that little bit was enough for Reyneke to smash two sixes and a four, all down the ground, and hoist South Africa to 149 for 7. She wasn’t given a lot to get under but as soon as she was given one, she smashed it out of the park. The margin for error was breathtakingly small.

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