Green and Mair guide New Zealand to ODI series victory over Proteas Women

Maddy Green recorded an unbeaten century, while Rosemary Mair claimed career-best figures to help New Zealand secure a 66-run win in the third and final ICC Women’s Championship ODI against the Proteas Women in Wellington on Saturday.

Green’s 141* off 128 deliveries, including 15 fours, in partnership with Brooke Halliday’s 98 off 124 balls (13 fours), helped the hosts post 306/7 in their 50 overs.

Mair then returned with figures of 5/50 as the Proteas were dismissed for 240 in 46.1 overs, sealing a 2-1 series victory for New Zealand.

South Africa won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first.

The visitors made a superb start to the contest, with Ayanda Hlubi (2/47) and Tumi Sekhukhune (2/57) ripping through the top order with three early wickets, including Suzie Bates (0), Georgia Plimmer (1) and the in-form Amelia Kerr (0), to leave the hosts 3/3 in the fourth over.

With their backs against the wall, New Zealand responded with a half-century stand between Green and Halliday, pushing their side to 62/3 after 17 overs.

The experienced pair continued to rebuild the innings for the White Ferns, with both batters bringing up their half-centuries to propel the score to 127/3 after 31 overs.

Green and Halliday then upped the ante after reaching their respective milestones, bringing up a 200-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Nadine de Klerk (1/55) made the crucial breakthrough by finding Halliday’s edge, just two runs short of her century.

With the total on 215/4 with 10 overs to go, Green continued to lead the charge for the home side, advancing to her third ODI century as the White Ferns ended on 306/7 in their 50 overs, despite losing three more wickets through Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/70) and a run-out by Sekhukhune.

In their chase, South Africa’s opening pair of Tazmin Brits (25) and Laura Wolvaardt (69 off 68; 9 fours) put on a 50-run stand to take the touring side to 65/0 after 12 overs before Brits departed off the bowling of Mair.

Another half-century stand between Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen (47) helped the Proteas maintain their momentum, with the captain bringing up her 50 to guide her side to 134/1 at the halfway mark.

The partnership was eventually ended in the 26th over, with Wolvaardt caught off the bowling of Kayley Knight (1/48) before her partner soon followed, dismissed by Mair, reducing South Africa to 149/3.

Anneke Bosch (3) was the next wicket to fall, mistiming a delivery from Mair, before A Kerr (2/37) and Nensi Patel (1/40) claimed two more wickets to further curtail South Africa’s chase as the visitors reached 204/6 after 40 overs.

Despite a cameo from Chloé Tryon (29), the Proteas Women lost their remaining wickets, with Mair completing her five-wicket haul alongside scalps from Jess Kerr (1/45) and A Kerr to hand New Zealand a 66-run victory and a 2-1 series triumph.