Amelia Kerr took the match away from South Africa in a single evening. The New Zealand captain smashed 105 off just 55 balls — 11 fours, 5 sixes — to power her side to 194 for 6. Kerr's strike rate of 190 turned the contest into a rout before South Africa even came out to bat. Georgia Plimmer's 27 off 26 provided the platform, but it was Kerr's brutality in the middle and death overs that set the tone.
The visitors never recovered. Chasing 195, South Africa crumbled to 100 for 9 in 19.4 overs — a 94-run defeat that barely warranted a full innings. Annerie Dercksen top-scored with 23 off 18, but the batting order fractured against disciplined New Zealand bowling. Ayabonga Khaka and Tumi Sekhukhune picked up 3 wickets each for 32 apiece, yet New Zealand's bowling got the job done even before they needed heroics.
The powerplay told the story. New Zealand hammered 62 runs in the first six overs. South Africa managed just 23 in theirs. That 39-run gap in the powerplay proved decisive. Kerr's assault, combined with tight bowling from both sides' supporting cast, gave New Zealand complete control. South Africa's batting unit found no rhythm, no partnerships, no way back into the contest. By the time the third over of the chase ended, the result felt inevitable.