Kayla Reyneke, Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus and Ayabonga Khaka played key roles as the Proteas Women edged New Zealand by two wickets in the opening ICC Women’s Championship ODI in Christchurch on Sunday.
Khaka delivered a standout performance with the ball, finishing with a career-best 6/56 to help restrict the White Ferns to 268 all out. In response, Dercksen anchored the chase with a composed 72 off 93 balls (8 fours), while Player of the Match Reyneke produced a calm, unbeaten 42 off 32 deliveries – sealing the win with a six off the final ball.
After being sent in to bat under cloudy skies, New Zealand got off to a steady start through Suzie Bates (20) and Georgia Plimmer (28), who added 42 for the first wicket before Tumi Sekhukhune struck. Plimmer then shared a brief stand with Amelia Kerr (36), but regular wickets slowed the innings as South Africa fought back.
A key 80-run partnership between Izzy Gaze (37) and Maddy Green, who notched up her 10th ODI fifty, lifted the hosts past 180. New Zealand accelerated late, adding 92 runs in the final 10 overs, but Khaka returned to claim four wickets at the death and bowl them out for 268.
South Africa’s reply got off to a shaky start, slipping to 30/2 after early strikes from Jess Kerr and Bree Illing. Dercksen and Suné Luus (53) then steadied things with a crucial 123-run stand, both reaching half-centuries to put the chase back on track.
However, quick wickets saw momentum swing again, with the Proteas reduced to 190/6. A valuable 48-run partnership between Nadine de Klerk (39) and Reyneke kept them in the hunt, but two late wickets left the visitors needing 22 runs off the final 13 balls at 247/8.
With the pressure on, Reyneke held her nerve alongside Sekhukhune, smashing two sixes in the final over – including the match-winning strike off the last ball – to complete a dramatic victory.