Melie Kerr’s stocks have risen — again.
The New Zealand captain flogged 78 to help her side post an 80-run win in the opening T20 against South Africa in Mount Maunganui yesterday.
Kerr combined in a New Zealand record partnership for the second wicket of 146 with Georgia Plimmer (63).
The pair dragged the White Ferns through to a formidable tally of 190 for seven.
The visitors laboured to find their timing throughout a lacklustre chase which had all the intent of a koala at nap time.
South Africa got so far behind they needed 119 runs off the final six overs to win.
They limped through to 110 for seven.
There was more yawning than power-hitting.
Sophie Devine grabbed a career-best four for 12. Jess Kerr took two for 13 and bowled a maiden during the powerplay.
The White Ferns were utterly dominant, but they got off to the worst possible start.
They lost a wicket first ball of the game when Izzy Gaze was run out without facing.
It mattered not a jot. Kerr was in cracking form.
Kayla Reyneke gave her a helping hand. She tossed up an above-the-waist no-ball, which Kerr deposited over square leg for a boundary.
The resulting free hit was launched over long-on for six.
Kerr brought up her 50 from 28 balls to power the White Ferns to 100 for one at the halfway point of the innings.
Plimmer was doing her part at the other end. She struck a series of boundaries, including a spanking drive down the ground to close in a half-century herself.
She reached the milestone with a hoof over midwicket. The ball hung in the air, but the breeze helped carry it over the rope for six.
She sent another towering hit in a similar direction and it came back down halfway up the embankment.
South Africa fought back with the ball. They removed Kerr and Plimmer before they could belt even more runs, and picked up the wicket of Devine cheaply.
That knocked the stuffing out of the back end of the innings, but the damage had already been done.
- The Black Caps could not replicate the efforts of their national colleagues when they suffered a heavy seven-wicket defeat in their following matching fixture with South Africa.
After winning the toss and batting, their innings was in total contrast to the White Ferns as they failed to adjust to a slower pitch and some accurate South African swing and spin, and fell over in a heap for just 91.
Only Jimmy Neesham (26) was able to get anything at all going. Nqobani Mokoena was the pick of the attack, with three for 26.
South Africa also struggled a little in the tough batting conditions, but marched doggedly to the win safely enough in the 17th over, opener Connor Esterhuizen top-scoring with 45 not out off 48 balls.
