Less than a fortnight after hitting the highest ever ODI score and barely 24 hours after England broke their own record for the highest ODI total in men’s cricket, the New Zealand Women posted 216 for 1 – the highest total in women’s T20Is against South Africa in the first match of the Tri-nation Women’s T20 series at Taunton.
The White ferns jogged their way to massive 66-run win after South Africa managed 156 for six in reply.
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates was the star of the show as she became the highest run scorer in Women’s T20s, breaking the record of former England captain Charlotte Edwards. Bates put on the highest opening partnership of 181 with partner Sophie Divine, who got out after a brilliant 73. But there was no stopping Bates as she mustered the joint second highest score of women’s cricket on her way to an unbeaten 124 off 66 balls.
Bates however, fell just shy of the highest individual score in T20 cricket, which belongs to Australian captain Meg Lanning (128).
The right-hander hit 16 fours and three sixes, scoring at a strike rate of 187.87.
In reply, South Africa Women had a disastrous start to their innings, losing their top four for just 40 on board. Captain Dan van Niekerk did her best with a 56-run innings but it was not enough on a day where the New Zealand batters smashed boundaries at will.