A career-best bowling performance from Ayabonga Khaka, and the six-hitting power from debutant Kayla Reyneke helped the Proteas Women steal an incredible last-ball two-wicket win over New Zealand’s White Ferns in the first IWC one-day International at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday.
Khaka picked up brilliant figures of 6-56 from her 10 overs to help the visitors bowl the hosts all out for 268 off the last ball of their 50 overs batting first.
The Proteas chase was then led initially by Annerie Dercksen, 72 off 93 (8x4) and Sune Luus, 53 off 72 (5x4), before Nadine de Klerk, 39 off 39 (5x4), and Reyneke, 42no off 32 (3x4; 2x6) took them home on 269 for eight.
But it was 20-year-old Reyneke, who bellied her inexperience, as she marshalled the tail over the last few overs, and then took charge in the final over with 14 needed, hitting the third ball from the experienced Suzie Bates for the first six of the match, and then launched the last ball back over her head for another six to seal an amazing win.
“That was a bit stressful at the end there, I think it got a bit closer than it needed to be. But amazing finish from Kayla, that was some clean striking,” said a relieved-looking Proteas captain, Laura Wolvaardt, after the match.
“I think we were cruising for most of the chase. That partnership between Annerie and Sune was excellent; they just looked so at ease at the crease and were keeping up with the rate quite comfortably.
“We lost them both in quick succession, which put us under a bit of pressure, but I am glad we were able to hold on at the end.
“She (Khaka) was amazing today. I think what makes her so special is she is able to bowl in every single phase (of the innings). I thought she was excellent in the powerplay and then she was able to bowl in the middle and at the death, and she used her death plans well and was able to pick up some wickets at the end.”
POOR START FOR PROTEAS
Earlier, the Proteas chase got off to a poor start as they lost both of their openers within the first six overs.
Tazmin Brits fell for a second ball duck in the first over, after getting an inside edge on an in-swinging ball from Jess Kerr to keeper Izzy Gaze, followed by captain Laura Wolvaardt (16) in the sixth, missing a good ball from Bree Illing to be bowled, leaving them on 30 for two.
That brought Dercksen and Luus together, and they set about rebuilding the innings with a 123-run third-wicket partnership.
But after both reached good half-centuries and had taken their side past 150 and into a strong position, both fell within four balls of each other as the White Ferns fought back.
First, Dercksen missed the slog sweep off Suzie Bates and was bowled, and was followed by Luus in the next over when she tried to clear the infield but ended up hitting Amelia Kerr to Bates at mid off, as they slipped to 154 for two in the 30th over.
The wickets were now tumbling, and after looking good, hitting three fours in her 10-ball stay, Sinalo Jafta (13) was bowled by Amelia Kerr in the 34th with the score 171 for five.
Chloe Tryon struggled immensely, taking 26 balls to score just nine, before she popped a return catch to Jess Kerry, and on 190 for six in the 38th over, the Proteas were in a spot of bother.
LAST-BALL WIN
But De Klerk and Reyneke got things back on track with a 48-run seventh-wicket partnership off 47 balls to put them back in range.
But when De Klerk, who had received two lifelines with drops on 21 and 31, was finally held by Brooke Halliday off the bowling of Rosemary Mair in the 46th over, they still needed 31 to win and were into the bowlers.
But Reyneke showed her immense talent by staying calm, despite the rate climbing, and in the end, it was an unbeaten 22-run ninth-wicket stand with Tumi Sekhukhune (6no) that took them to a breathless last-ball win.
At the start of play, the Proteas won the toss and chose to bowl, and it was the 33-year-old Khaka that shone for the visitors, picking up just her second five-wicket haul in 120 ODIs and eclipsing her previous best of 5-26 against the West Indies back in 2022.
On the batting front, middle-order batter Maddy Green starred for the hosts, top-scoring with an 83-ball 85 that featured nine boundaries, and it was her late innings charge with Jess Kerr, 24 off 14 (4x4), that helped them get to a decent total in the end.
The White Ferns' innings got off to a steady start as openers Bates (20) and Georgia Plimmer, 28 off 31 (4x4), combined for a 42-run opening stand, before Sekhukhune made the breakthrough in the 10th over, having Bates sharply caught at point by a diving Dercksen.
Captain Amelia Kerr (36) was in next, and after 29 was added to the total, De Klerk struck, clean bowling Plimmer to reduce the hosts to 71 for two.
That brought Green to the crease and along with her captain, they set about a 38-run partnership, which included them bringing up the team's 100 in the 23rd over.
But two quick wickets set them back as Khaka struck in the 27th over, as Amelia Kerr reached for a wide ball and got a thick edge, with keeper Jafta taking a great grab behind the stumps.
In the next over, Tryon found the faintest of edges on Halliday’s (1) bat, with Jafta again taking a good catch, as the White Ferns slipped to 112 for four.
Green then found a willing partner in Gaze, 37 off 46 (5x4), as they combined for the innings' biggest stand of 70 runs.
Just as it was beginning to look dangerous, Gaze fell to a stunning catch from Luus at wide long on, diving near the boundary to send her on her way off the bowling of Tryon, with the score 182 for five.
The end of the innings was then largely the Khaka show, as she took the last five White Ferns wickets, although Green and Jess Kerr added a quickfire 34 off just 15 balls for the seventh wicket to get them to 250, before Khaka cleaned up the tail with three wickets in the last over.
NEW ZEALAND: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr (capt), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Izzy Gaze (wk),, Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Flora Devonshire, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing
SOUTH AFRICA: Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Annerie Dercksen, Sune Luus, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Kayla Reyneke, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba