‘They outplayed us’: Proteas women thumped by White Ferns in series opener

Suné Luus plays a shot for the Proteas during the T20 International between South Africa and New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. Picture: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images South Africa were handed a crushing 80-run defeat on Sunday, after failing to gain any traction with bat or ball against New Zealand in the opening clash of a five-match women’s T20 International series in Mount Maunganui. “It was definitely not our best day.

All credit to New Zealand. They outplayed us in all aspects, and the way we started both innings did not help,” Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt said after the game. Set a target of 191 runs to win,the Proteasnever really got going, losing regular wickets as the White Ferns bowling attack retained pressure on them and kept the run rate down.

The tourists were reduced to 19/2 in the powerplay and they never recovered. Only four SA players – top-order batters Tazimbin Brits (29) and Suné Luus (10), and middle-order batters Nadine de Klerk (19) and Kayla Reyneke (24) – reached double figures as they were restricted to 110/7 in their 20 overs. All-rounder Sophie Devine was the best of the New Zealand bowlers, taking career-best figures of 4/12, while seamer Jess Kerr took 2/13.

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Earlier, after choosing to bat, the hosts lost opening batter Isabelle Gaze in the first over when she was run out by Nadine de Klerk without even facing a ball. However, fellow top-order batters Georgia Plimmer (63 off 44) and captain Amelia Kerr (78 off 44) were superb, sharing a 146-run stand for the second wicket and laying the foundation as the White Ferns ultimately compiled 190/7. Kerr was particularly impressive, racing to her half-century off just 28 deliveries.

Seamers Masabata Klaas (2/15) and De Klerk (2/32) grabbed two scalps each but the Proteas bowlers were unable to contain the New Zealand batting line-up. Wolvaardt admitted her team needed to improve if they were going to hit back in thesecond T20 matchin Hamilton on Tuesday.

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