New Zealand 228 all out (Devine 93, Ismail 3-27) vs South Africa
Sophie Devine fell seven runs short of a second century at this World Cup as New Zealand set South Africa a target of 229 on a good Seddon Park pitch. Runs were expected to flow but South Africa’s seamers had other ideas and kept New Zealand relatively quiet as they found swing and took pace off the ball to eventually prompt a lower-order collapse.
New Zealand were well-set after Devine put on 81 for the second wicket with Amelia Kerr and 80 for the fourth wicket with Maddy Green but no one among the bottom five batters got into double figures. They lost 6 for 30 in the last eight overs to finish short of what is considered par – around 250 – and even shorter than what this surface was expected to deliver – a score of 260-plus.
Shabnim Ismail struck at the top and bottom of the innings, Ayabonga Khaka had two catches dropped off her bowling but still finished with three wickets while Marizanne Kapp took two wickets in two balls at the death to cap off an all-round dominant performance from the quicks.
Ismail made the first incision when she bowled Suzie Bates through the bat-pad gap with a full delivery that nipped in off the seam in her second over to force New Zealand into a watchful start. It took Amelia Kerr 12 deliveries to get off the mark and New Zealand until the eighth over to find their first boundary when Devine cut Kapp wide of backward point. But run-scoring only became easier with the change bowlers.
Masabata Klaas started with a half-volley and was hit through the covers, Khaka offered width and Chloe Tryon was too short. Devine got hold of all of them. Khaka could have had a wicket in her third over when Amelia chased a delivery outside off and bottom-edged to Trisha Chetty, who could not hold on to a tough chance.
Amelia went on to dabb Khaka to third man for four and took on the aggressor’s role. She was strong on the back foot and her score went past Devine’s and New Zealand’s run-rate surged towards five an over before Sune Luus became the first South African spinner to take a wicket in the tournament. Amelia went down on one knee to paddle Luus fine but missed and was struck in front of middle stump. Three balls later Khaka found Amy Sattherthwaite’s edge as she tried to cut a ball that was not wide enough and had her caught behind. The double strike left New Zealand on 88 for 3 in the 20th over.
It also allowed South Africa to put the brakes on an innings that was threatening to get away from them. They sent down five boundary-less overs and New Zealand were only able to bring up the 100 in the 25th over, which is also when Devine got to fifty. She reached the milestone off 61 balls when Luus strayed down the legside and Devine the ball on its way to fine leg.
Luus was the only bowler Devine could really get away in that period as the seamers built pressure. Khaka should have been the beneficiary of the strangle when Green flicked her off the pads straight to Kapp at midwicket but she shelled a sitter. South Africa’s fielding improved when Green pushed a ball in front of point and was slow to get going on the single, Laura Wolvaardt under-armed to Chetty, who took off the bails to run Green out.
Two overs later, South Africa reviewed a Kapp appeal for lbw against Devine, who missed a flick but ball-tracking showed it was missing. Devine stormed into the 90s when she picked up a Kapp slower ball and smoked it over long-onto to set New Zealand up for a big last 10 overs.
They entered it on 197 for 4 and Devine on 93. Two balls in, Devine missed a Khaka yorker as she cleared the front leg to swing and it deflected off her pads onto her stumps. Two overs later, Ismail bowled Katey Martin and gave her a send-off with an expletive. Martin responded with a gesture that indicated Ismail was crazy.
Kapp then got two wickets in two balls, Ismail picked up another when she bowled Lea Tahuhu with an inswinger and Khaka ended the innings with 13 balls to spare when Jess Kerr sent a slower ball to Kapp at point.
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