New Zealand Women made history on Wednesday by achieving the highest successful run chase in the history of Women’s ODI matches. India, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, had previously set the record in October last year by successfully chasing down 339 against Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final. However, the White Ferns have now exceeded that milestone.
Amelia Kerr shone with an unbeaten 179 off 139 deliveries, including 23 boundaries and a maximum, as New Zealand successfully chased down 347 with two balls to spare to clinch a two-wicket victory in the second ODI at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. This win allowed the White Ferns to level the three-match series 1-1, with the final match scheduled for April 4 at the same venue.
Facing a challenging situation in the series, New Zealand required 11 runs from the last over to make history. Amelia Kerr, who recently claimed the top spot as the No.1 all-rounder in Women’s T20Is, rose to the occasion by hitting three boundaries off Nadine de Klerk to secure a thrilling triumph. Batting at No.3, Kerr reached her fifth ODI century off 90 balls and remained unbeaten till the end.
While wickets fell at regular intervals, Kerr found valuable support from Isabella Gaze, who played a brisk innings of 68 runs off 48 balls. The duo formed a crucial partnership of 120 runs for the fifth wicket after the White Ferns had struggled at 130 for four in 24.3 overs, with the required run rate climbing to around 8.50.
Ayabonga Khaka stood out as the top bowler for South Africa, finishing with figures of 10-0-51-3, but her efforts were in vain. Masabata Klaas and Kayla Reyneke took two wickets each, although they proved to be expensive, conceding runs at a rate of over 7.50 per over. On the other hand, Nadine de Klerk had a tough outing, giving away 79 runs at an economy rate of 9.11.
In the first innings, after being put in to bat, South Africa posted a challenging total of 346 for six. Although Tazmin Brits fell early, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch built a strong foundation with a partnership of 132 runs for the second wicket. Wolvaardt contributed 69 runs, while Bosch fell just short of a century, scoring 91 before being dismissed by Kayley Knight.
Sune Luus and Sinalo Jafta continued the momentum in the middle overs with scores of 40 and 37 respectively. However, it was Chloe Tryon who propelled South Africa towards the 350-run mark with an unbeaten 52 off 25 balls, including five fours and three sixes. Left-arm seamer Bree Illing impressed for the White Ferns, taking 3 wickets for 60 runs.
Although Amelia Kerr struggled with the ball, conceding 67 runs without a wicket, she made a significant impact with the bat, guiding New Zealand to a memorable victory with her unbeaten innings.
In summary, New Zealand Women achieved a remarkable two-wicket win over South Africa Women, successfully chasing down 347 runs with just 2 balls remaining in the thrilling encounter.