Nonkululeko Mlaba’s four-wicket haul, combined with a scintillating century from opener Tazmin Brits and an unbeaten 83 by Sune Luus, powered South Africa to their first victory of the 2025 Women’s World Cup with a dominant win over New Zealand on Monday (October 6) in Indore. After suffering a heavy defeat to England in their opener, South Africa bounced back impressively, piling further pressure on the defending T20 World champions, New Zealand, who have now slumped to back-to-back losses.
New Zealand fold down for just 231
Facing pressure after being bowled out for just 69 three days earlier, South Africa made a perfect start with Marizanne Kapp trapping Suzie Bates lbw off the very first ball. Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer initially tried to steady the innings, but the mounting dot-ball pressure led to Kerr’s dismissal for a 42-ball 23. Sophie Devine, once again carrying the responsibility of revitalizing her team, found her rhythm quickly, hitting back-to-back boundaries in consecutive overs against Kapp.
Devine, who had scored a century in a losing effort against Australia in New Zealand’s tournament opener, looked in fine form again. After Plimmer’s departure, Brooke Halliday joined Devine at the crease and immediately lifted the scoring rate. Her attacking knock of 45 from just 37 deliveries provided a significant boost, and by the 38th over, New Zealand seemed well placed at 187/3 with 12 overs remaining.
With Devine crossing fifty for the second consecutive game, South Africa appeared under pressure and braced for a big total. But Nonkululeko Mlaba sparked a dramatic turnaround, breaking the dangerous partnership. As wickets began to tumble, Devine once again found herself running short of support. From 187/3, New Zealand quickly slipped to 212/6, and Mlaba delivered the decisive blow by bowling Devine for a well-crafted 85. The collapse continued, and despite being set for a much larger score, New Zealand were bowled out for just 231.
Tazmin Brits becomes the showstopper
South Africa’s chase of 232 began in aggressive fashion, with the openers hammering five boundaries inside the first three overs. Laura Wolvaardt was trapped lbw soon after, but that proved to be New Zealand’s lone breakthrough for a long stretch. Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus then took control, shaping the innings with contrasting approaches—Luus adopting a measured strategy while Brits played freely and attacked the bowlers.
Brits, entering the tournament in excellent form, unleashed a barrage of strokes to keep her strike rate above 100, forcing New Zealand onto the defensive. Her dominance allowed Luus to settle into her role as the accumulator, building the partnership steadily. Brits reached her century just 10 balls after Luus had brought up her fifty, but fell immediately afterward. By then, the game was firmly in South Africa’s grasp.
Although New Zealand managed to take a couple more wickets, Luus stayed composed and guided her team to victory with more than nine overs to spare. The commanding performance not only gave South Africa their first win of the tournament but also restored their confidence ahead of their next clash against hosts India. Meanwhile, New Zealand, now winless in two games, will be desperate to register their first points against Bangladesh.
Brief scores: New Zealand 231 in 47.5 overs (Sophie Devine 85, Brooke Halliday 45; Nonkululeko Mlaba 4/40) lost to South Africa 234/4 in 40.5 overs (Tazmin Brits 101, Sune Luus 83*) by 6 wickets