South Africa drew first blood in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand when they won the first match at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom by 4 wickets.
The Proteas finished on 236 for 6 (47.1) after captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and put the White Ferns in to bat (235 for 8).
The 124 six-wicket partnership between Nadine de Klerk (58 not out) and Chloe Tryon (71) was crucial to the South African victory.
The Proteas have now won the last six encounters against the White Ferns.
PROTEAS WOMEN TAKE THE FIRST ODI 🇿🇦👏
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) September 24, 2023
A resilient performance with bat and ball from Proteas Women to win the 1st ODI against the White Ferns at the JB Marks Oval 🏟#AlwaysRising #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/CC6uQE0U5R
Despite the relatively comfortable victory in the end, South Africa’s innings couldn’t have started worse when Tazmin Brits departed for four (1, 1x4) in the first over, caught by Maddy Green off Jess Kerr.
The duo combined again in the fifth over when Lara Goodall (2, 10b) scooped a Kerr directly into the hands of Green.
With the score on 17 for 2, it was up to captain Laura Wolvaardt and former captain Suné Luus, fresh of her first ODI 100 in the recent series in Pakistan, to not let things slip away.
They managed to score 25 runs for the third wicket before patience and persistence by Hannah Rowe paid dividends in the 12th over when Luus was trapped lbw for nine (22b, 2x4) and with the score on 42 for 3.
The Proteas’ 50 was up in the 15th over, with Wolvaardt on 29 and Marizanne Kapp on two.
While Wolvaardt was playing the anchor role, rotating the strike, it was Kapp on the other end who went after the loose balls to send them towards the boundary.
It ultimately cost her though when, two runs short of the 50-run fourth-wicket partnership, Kapp (27, 38b, 2x4) found the hands of following a delivery from Eden Carson.
TRYON AND DE KLERK STEP THINGS UP
The in-form De Klerk, player of the recent ODI series against Pakistan, joined Wolvaardt with South Africa on 90 for 4 in the 23rd over.
The Protea captain scored her 30th ODI 50 four overs later but as soon as she reached the milestone, Row got her second wicket when she sent the bails flying.
Wolvaardt had to walk back to the change room (50, 75b, 3x4) and the South African innings was faltering at 111 for 5.
After missing the series against Pakistan, Tryon returned to international action when she walked out to resume her role as allrounder in the South African team.
She hit three fours in succession in the 35th over of New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, moving South Africa to 151 for 5.
That left 90 balls to score the 85 runs required for victory.
Tryon and De Klerk then stepped things up and South Africa’s 200 was up in the 43rd over.
Both scored 50s en route to their 100 partnership of 101 balls. With the scores tied on 235, Tryon tried to finish proceedings but was bowled by Devine for 71 (58b, 11x4).
De Klerk scored the winning runs in the next over and finished on 58 not out (76b, 4x4).
KAPP PEARLER
Earlier, New Zealand recovered well to score a respectable 235 for 8 after initially slumping to 38 four 4.
A 107-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Brooke Halliday (76) and Rowe (52) in the second half of the innings saw the momentum shift massively from the Proteas to the White Ferns.
Runs were hard to come by and in the third over, with one stump to aim at, Tazmin Brits got a direct hit to run out Suzie Bates for 1 (8b).
Kapp then delivered a pearler to bowl New Zealand captain Sophie Devine for five (11b, 1x4).
De Klerk got into the action in her second over when Nonkululeko Mlaba took a comfortable catch to get rid of Maddy Green (5, 23b, 1x4).
Right on the stroke of the drinks break, Luus took a brilliant catch off the bowling of Klaas that saw the back of Amelia Kerr for 22 (37b, 2x4) and the visitors on 38 for 4.
New Zealand’s 50 was up in the 19th over and Ayabonga Khaka was brought back into the attack. I
t wasn’t long before she trapped Georgia Plimmer lbw for 12 (25b, 1x4).
Halliday (35) and Rowe (13) started building towards a respectable total and took the score to 101 for 5 in the 32nd over.
Their 50-run partnership was up in the next over, coming of 78 balls. The pair turned ones into twos and put the South African bowlers and fielders under pressure with the boundary count also increasing.
THREE KIWI SCALPS FOR KLAAS
Halliday and Rowe’s century partnership (101, 122b) came in the 40th over. Rowe scored her maiden ODI half-century before she was rushed by a delivery from Klaas and dragged the ball onto her wickets to depart for 52 (71b, 7x4).
Wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze joined Halliday and with New Zealand on 172 for 6.
South Africa pulled things back in the last three overs of the match. First it was a catch by Tryon from the bowling of De Klerk that took care of top-scorer Halliday (76, 92b, 7x4) and then Klaas bowled Lea Tahutu (0).
A quick-fire 26 from 24 by Gaze, assisted by 19 from 7 by Jess Kerr, pushed the White Ferns over the 230 threshold.
For South Africa, Klaas took 3-60 (10) and De Klerk 2-34 (9) while there was also a wicket each for Kapp and Khaka.
The second ODI is on Thursday at the Pietermaritzburg Oval and the third next Sunday at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
NEW ZEALAND: Sophie Devine (capt), Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Brooke Halliday, Hannah Rowe, Isabella Gaze, Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr, Eden Carson.