South Africa disappointed on New Zealand tour

After finishing as runners-up in the World Cup, the South Africa women’s team had hoped to win at least one white-ball series on their tour of New Zealand. However, that expectation was not fulfilled. After losing the T20I series 4-1, they also went down 2-1 in the ODI series.

Although the first two ODIs were split one apiece, South Africa suffered a heavy defeat in the third match. A 66-run loss saw them concede the series. Following the match, head coach Mandla Mashimbyi attributed the defeat to failures in “big moments.”

In the third ODI in Wellington, South Africa made a strong start, picking up 3 wickets for just 3 runs in 3.1 overs. However, they failed to maintain the pressure afterward. According to Mashimbyi, the game shifted because his team could not sustain pressure in the following overs.

For New Zealand, Maddy Green and Brooke Halliday put together a massive 211-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Green remained unbeaten on 141, while Halliday narrowly missed out on a century, dismissed for 98. The coach also pointed to the inability to restrict boundaries in the final overs as a key factor.

South Africa were also disappointing with the bat. Although Laura Wolvaardt scored two innings of 69 in the series, no other batter could produce a big score. The team failed to register a single century throughout the tour, which Mashimbyi highlighted as a concern.

“We are usually a team known for scoring hundreds. But on this tour, we didn’t get a single one. Without partnerships, big innings are hard to come by,” he said.

With the T20 World Cup in England scheduled for June-July, this performance raises some concerns. However, the coach believes it is not a reflection of the team’s overall ability, but rather the result of small mistakes and lapses in concentration.

After the tour, South Africa will host India for a five-match T20I series. The team is now focused on correcting their mistakes ahead of that series.