The second T20I between the Proteas and New Zealand was abandoned due to rain after the visitors had managed 111/9 batting first in their 20 overs at Buffalo Park in East London late on Sunday afternoon.
It is the second straight abandonment after the first T20I of the series was completely washed out at the same ground on Friday night and both teams will be desperate for good weather for the third game of the five-match series also at Buffalo Park on Tuesday evening.
The Proteas clinched a 2-1 win in the ODI series and will have been eyeing another home series win on the T20 front, so they will hope that the remaining three matches are all able to be played over the coming week.
🚨 MATCH ABANDONED
— Proteas Women (@ProteasWomenCSA) October 8, 2023
Persistent rain has forced the second T20I to be abandoned#SAWvNZW #LetsGoSouthAfrica #AlwaysRising pic.twitter.com/Zhg4SzLDnW
In the match the Proteas won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat, with the home side then producing a superb bowling and fielding effort to limit the visitors to a below par total.
Allrounder Chloe Tryon was the star of the bowling effort picking up 4-15 in her four overs, while on the batting front Maddy Green was woman alone as she battled her way to an unbeaten 45 off 36 balls (2x4; 2x6) as she tried to give her teams bowlers something to defend.
The New Zealand innings got off to steady but unspectacular start as openers Suzie Bates (14) and Kate Anderson (19) eased them to 26/0 after five overs.
In the last over of the powerplay the Proteas finally made the breakthrough as some slack running saw Bates run out by a combination of Laura Wolvaardt and keeper Sinalo Jafta to leave them on 31/1.
The seventh and eighth overs saw the Proteas turn the screw as Amelia Kerr (3) got a top edge to Tryon at cover off the bowling of Nadine de Klerk, while another dreadful run out saw the back of Anderson and Suzie Bates (2) was caught by Anneke Bosch off Tryon as they crashed to 41/4.
This brought Brooke Halliday (7) in to join Green and they settled in for a 22-run fifth- wicket partnership to try and revive the innings.
Spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba broke the stand in the 13th over, bowling Halliday with New Zealand in trouble on 63/5.
Green almost played a lone hand over the rest of the innings to crucially get her side over the hundred run mark as Bella Armstrong (11) and Isabella Gaze (3) were both caught off the bowling of Tryon, while Jess Kerr (1) was stumped by Jafta off Tryon.
Eden Carson (1) was run out off the last ball of the innings as Green tried to sneak a two at the end, with the rain then arriving during the innings break and settling in to stay.
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba
NEW ZEALAND: Suzie Bates, Kate Anderson, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (capt), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bella Armstrong, Isabella Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas