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

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

Usually at Eden Park the square boundaries are the longest but with the rope drawn in for the women’s game, that has changed. Devine went from 13 off 10 to 55 off 38, pulling everything in sight. She collected 46 runs at a strike rate of 219 on the leg side. When the fifth-wicket partnership hit 50, Maddy Green made only 12 off 15. It was all Devine from the other end and it was all Devine to the end. His superpowers now include winning the game without touching the ball. Dercksen missed the cut strip as she tried to hide it away from the batsman’s reach.

South Africa had to wait 23 balls for the first boundary off the bat on Friday. Dercksen made it worthwhile with a neat little flick of his legs that traveled all the way for six over deep mid-wicket. Dercksen arrived with the score at 9 for 2 in the third over and put the pressure back on New Zealand. While at the crease, she accounted for more than half of the boundaries (4 out of 7) scored by her team. Thanks to this, Laura Wolvaardt was able to anchor and go at her preferred pace, although 37 from 39 was not a good look for the captain, who later admitted they were far short of a competitive total.

A pitch with 10mm of grass offered enough for the seamers and even someone with an eye on them was discovered when Devine entered the field. The little leg-spinner – a response to a hit for six the previous ball – found Dercksen in two minds, whether to attack or defend, and took off her stumps. South Africa lost 59 for 5 between the eighth and 18th overs, with 38 balls without a boundary.

Bates continued to find more success with the ball. She took a wicket in her first over and also took responsibility at the death. New Zealand kept their line and length very well, regularly cramping the batsmen and guiding them to hit the areas – mid-wicket and square – they covered.

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

Reyneke’s presence forced Jess Kerr to go wide in the last over – too wide. The umpire who punished her let the bowler move her line and that bit was enough for Reyneke to hit two sixes and a four, all down the ground, and lift South Africa to 149 for 7. She wasn’t given a lot to get under, but once she was given one, she hit it out of the park. The margin for error was breathtakingly small.