Lee-sy does it for South Africans
A classy innings with a cruel end from Lizelle Lee set South Africa up for a big win over the White Ferns yesterday at Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland.
The opener made a run-a-ball 99 to put her side ahead in the contest, but was denied a century and had to watch on as her side got the job done.
Katie Perkins made her highest ODI score, an 83-ball 78, to lift the White Ferns to 259-9 from their 50 overs, but South Africa never allowed the chase to get out of control.
They got there with nine balls remaining and seven wickets in hand, sealing their third win in 14 ODIs against the White Ferns and going 1-0 up in the three-match series.
After Diane van Niekerk won the toss and chose to bowl, South African seamer Masabata Klaas removed both White Ferns openers, first getting Lauren Down for nine, then Bernadine Bezuidenhout for 29, to leave the hosts 51-2 in the 15th over.
Bezuidenhout’s departure brought star duo Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine together at the crease and the pair were productive, putting together a 49-run partnership off just 53 balls for the third wicket.
That stand was broken when Devine’s first innings as captain was brought to halt at 27, caught by van Niekerk off the bowling of Chloe Tryon.
Bates went on to pass 50, after surviving a mix-up when South African keeper Trisha Chetty should have run her out, but wasn’t able to kick on as she was caught by Lee off the bowling of Ayabonga Khaka for 53.
Her dismissal brought Perkins and returnee Rachel Priest together, with the White Ferns 146-4 in the 34th over.
Priest made 21 in her first ODI since the World Cup in 2017, giving Perkins good support, while Hayley Jensen made 19, before the Ferns lost wickets in a hurry as they tried to finish strong.
Klaas finished with 3-37 from eight overs, while Khaka took 3-43, as the White Ferns posted 259-9, adding 73 in the final 10 overs.
Laura Wolvaardt and Lee got South Africa off to a strong start, racing to 82-0 after 15 overs and forcing Devine to introduce a sixth bowler as early as the 16th over in order to halt the flow of runs.
That was when Lee brought up her fifty, off just 49 balls, turning offspinner Leigh Kasperek into the leg side for a single.
The Lee-Wolvaardt partnership looked like it might last all day as they passed the 100 mark, then the 150 mark, with Lee closing in on a century while scoring at about a run a ball.
On 99, however, she had a rush of blood to the head, and tried to hit Jensen over mid off, only to offer Bates a simple catch, which brought the partnership to an end at 163 runs off 188 balls.
Bates then made a second breakthrough in her first over, getting new batter Sune Luus caught behind for 15, and with 15 overs to go South Africa needed 79.
Some tight bowling helped to push the equation over a run a ball with six overs to play, but Wolvaardt and van Niekerk were largely unthreatened and brought up their 50-run stand.
An 11-run over from Rosemary Mair looked to have put South
Africa back in control, but Holly Huddleston trapped van Niekerk lbw for 37 to keep the White Ferns in it – a decision that survived a review.
Jensen had to leave the field with an injury midway through an over, disrupting Devine’s plans, and Wolvaardt saw South Africa home, finishing unbeaten on 91.
Ultimately the White Ferns bowled too many balls that were easily dispatched – South Africa hit 29 fours, while they managed just 23 (and a six) – and as a result they struggled to build pressure for any period of time.
The second match in the threematch series is back at Eden Park Outer Oval tomorrow.