Tazmin Brits’ masterful 101 off 89 balls and Sune Luus’ unbeaten 83 headlined a dominant all-round display as South Africa outclassed New Zealand by six wickets in their Women’s World Cup clash at the Holkar Stadium on Monday.
Earlier, Nonkululeko Mlaba’s four-wicket burst restricted the White Ferns to 231, before Brits and Luus combined in a record-breaking partnership that showcased poise, power, and precision.
Brits And Luus In Complete Control
Chasing 232, the Proteas began brightly with Brits and Laura Wolvaardt setting the tempo early. After the skipper fell to Jess Kerr for 14, Luus joined Brits to script a partnership that completely shut New Zealand out of the contest.
The pair mixed caution with calculated aggression, pushing the run rate past five an over and reaching 54 for 1 after the powerplay. As the innings progressed, they found their rhythm — Luus lifted Amelia Kerr over long-on for the first six of the match, and Brits threaded boundaries with effortless timing.
Both batters reached their half-centuries as South Africa raced past 150, and from there, it was a masterclass in control. The duo added their fifth century stand in ODIs this year, the most by a South African pair in a calendar year, and went on to register the highest partnership for any wicket by South Africa in a Women’s World Cup, surpassing the 128 between Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk in 2013.
Brits reached her fifth ODI hundred of 2025, surpassing Smriti Mandhana’s record of four in a year, before being bowled by Lea Tahuhu for 101 — an innings laced with 15 fours and a six.
I’m backing myself a bit more now, trying to be positive and expand my range. I’m not one for records, but when you mention Meg Lanning, I’m glad to be above her on that list.
Luus ensured there were no hiccups, guiding South Africa home with 55 balls to spare, alongside Sinalo Jafta.
Mlaba Sets It Up After Devine’s Fighting Knock
Earlier, Mlaba’s accuracy and control with the ball laid the foundation for South Africa’s win. She returned figures of 4 for 40, dismantling the New Zealand middle order after Sophie Devine’s 85 had held the innings together in her 300th international appearance.
It was a landmark day too for Suzie Bates, who played her 350th match but fell for a first-ball duck to Marizanne Kapp, setting the tone for a stuttering start.
Devine rebuilt through stands with Georgia Plimmer (33) and Brooke Halliday (45), but South Africa’s bowlers kept striking at key intervals. Mlaba removed both Halliday and Devine late in the innings as the White Ferns folded for 231 in 47.5 overs.
Such an amazing turnaround. We knew we were capable of this. Mlaba was brilliant, our death bowling plans were on point, and Brits was phenomenal — six hundreds in her last 11 games says it all.
Devine, though disappointed, was reflective: “We thought it was a 270–280 pitch and got into a good position to launch, but we kept losing wickets. Credit to the way they batted — they negated what we threw at them.”
Brief Scores: New Zealand 231/10 in 47.5 overs (Sophie Devine 85, Brooke Halliday 45; Nonkululeko Mlaba 4-40) South Africa 234/4 in 40.5 overs (Tazmin Brits 101, Sune Luus 83*; Amelia Kerr 2-62) Result: South Africa won by six wickets.
