Green and Halliday rescue act powers New Zealand to series-clinching 66-run win
New Zealand Women sealed a hard-fought 2-1 series victory over South Africa Women with a commanding 66-run win in the third and final ODI at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Saturday, 4 April 2026. Chasing 307, South Africa were bowled out for 240 in 46.1 overs, leaving the home side to celebrate a come-from-behind triumph in the ICC Women’s Championship contest.
The day began with South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt winning the toss and electing to field under cloudy Wellington skies. The decision looked inspired almost immediately. New Zealand’s top order was blown away in dramatic fashion. Suzie Bates managed just 9 balls before she was caught behind off Tumi Sekhukhune for a duck. Georgia Plimmer lasted only a few more deliveries, bowled by Ayanda Hlubi for 1. Then Amelia Kerr, the New Zealand captain and one of the most reliable batters in the world, edged Sekhukhune to Anneke Bosch and walked off without scoring. At 3 for 3 in the fourth over, the home side’s innings was in ruins.
What followed was one of the great rescue acts in recent New Zealand women’s cricket. Maddy Green walked in at number four and was joined by Brooke Halliday. The pair dug in with calm authority. There were no wild swings or panic. They absorbed the pressure, rotated the strike, and gradually turned the momentum. By the time the partnership was finally broken in the 40th over, they had added 211 runs for the fourth wicket. It was a new record for New Zealand in women’s ODIs, surpassing the previous mark of 172 shared by Amy Satterthwaite and Amelia Kerr.
Green was the dominant force. She finished unbeaten on 141 from 128 balls, striking 15 fours with a crisp, classical style that mixed elegant drives through the covers with powerful pulls whenever the bowlers dropped short. Halliday played the perfect supporting role, compiling a patient 98 from 124 deliveries with 13 boundaries of her own. Their alliance not only steadied the ship but completely shifted the balance of the contest. When Halliday finally fell, caught behind off Nadine de Klerk, New Zealand were already well past 200 and in a position of real strength.
The lower order then provided the finishing flourish. Isabella Gaze made a quick 7 before being run out. Izzy Sharp contributed a useful 16 that included a six. Jess Kerr struck a brisk 6, and Nensi Patel finished the innings with a rapid 12 not out from just 6 balls. Green remained at the crease throughout, guiding the total to 306 for 7 from their 50 overs. South Africa’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Hlubi and Sekhukhune taking two each, but none could stop the Green-Halliday juggernaut once it was rolling.
South Africa’s chase began brightly enough. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits put on 68 for the first wicket. Wolvaardt looked in supreme touch, driving and cutting with the authority that has made her one of the finest openers in the women’s game. She reached 69 from 68 balls with nine boundaries before Kayley Knight claimed her scalp, Sharp taking the catch. Brits had already departed for 25, trapped leg before by Rosemary Mair. Annerie Dercksen then joined Wolvaardt and the pair kept the required rate under control, adding another solid partnership. When Dercksen was dismissed for 47, caught by Patel off Mair, South Africa were 148 for 3 after 27.1 overs and still very much in the contest.
That was as good as it got for the visitors. The middle order failed to produce the big partnership they desperately needed. Sune Luus managed 21, Anneke Bosch fell cheaply for 3, Sinalo Jafta made 12, and Nadine de Klerk contributed only 9. Chloe Tryon offered some late resistance with a lively 29 from 26 balls that included a six, but the asking rate climbed steadily and the wickets kept tumbling. Mair was the architect of the collapse. The tall right-armer finished with figures of 5 for 50 from 9.1 overs, claiming Brits, Dercksen, Bosch, Tryon and finally Hlubi. Amelia Kerr supported her well with 2 for 37, while Jess Kerr, Patel and Knight each took a wicket. South Africa were all out for 240 with 3.5 overs remaining.
The victory completed a remarkable turnaround for New Zealand. They had lost the first ODI in Christchurch by 2 wickets in a last-ball thriller, then levelled the series in the second match at the same Basin Reserve ground thanks to Amelia Kerr’s magnificent unbeaten 179. Green had been a consistent performer throughout, scoring 85 in the first game and finishing the series as the leading run-scorer with 239 runs. She was named player of the match for her century and later collected the player of the series award as well.
For South Africa the result was a bitter disappointment. They had shown plenty of fight throughout the series and had their moments, but they could not convert solid starts into match-winning totals or partnerships. Wolvaardt finished as their top scorer across the three matches with 154 runs, yet the supporting cast never quite clicked at the same time. The visitors will head home reflecting on a series in which they competed hard but ultimately fell short against a New Zealand side that found a way to recover every time it was tested.
The Basin Reserve crowd, which had grown steadily through the afternoon, erupted when the final wicket fell. Green, still in her pads, was mobbed by teammates. Halliday, so close to a century of her own, shared a long embrace with her partner. Amelia Kerr lifted the series trophy with a broad smile, the weight of the early-series setback clearly lifted. For a New Zealand team that has been rebuilding and refining its approach in recent years, this series win against a strong South African outfit will rank as a significant achievement.
The match also carried points implications in the ICC Women’s Championship. New Zealand collected two valuable points from the win, while South Africa left empty-handed. In a competition that stretches over several years and determines automatic qualification for the next World Cup, every point matters. New Zealand will take confidence from the manner of this victory into future assignments. Their ability to dig themselves out of deep trouble, as they did after collapsing to 3 for 3, speaks to a growing resilience and belief within the group.
Green’s innings will live long in the memory of those who watched it. Coming in with the scoreboard reading 3 for 3, she showed no signs of nerves. She left the ball well early on, punished anything loose, and gradually increased the tempo as the innings progressed. By the final overs she was finding the boundary at will, ensuring the total climbed past 300. Halliday’s near-century was equally impressive for its composure. The pair barely looked in trouble once they had settled, and their understanding between the wickets was excellent.
Mair’s bowling performance was the perfect complement. She mixed pace and accuracy, found just enough movement off the pitch, and never allowed the South African batters to settle. Her five-wicket haul was the difference between a potentially tight chase and a comfortable victory margin. The supporting cast of Kerr, Knight and Patel kept the pressure on from the other end, ensuring there were no easy periods for the visitors.
As the players left the field, the sense of satisfaction among the New Zealand squad was clear. They had been tested, had stumbled early, and had responded with character. South Africa will feel they let an opportunity slip after winning the toss and reducing the hosts to 3 for 3. In the end, though, the better team on the day prevailed. New Zealand’s depth, their ability to form partnerships, and their disciplined bowling attack proved decisive.
This was the final match of South Africa’s tour of New Zealand, which also included a T20I series earlier. The visitors can take some pride from their overall performances, but the ODI series will be remembered as the one that got away. For New Zealand, the 2-1 series triumph and the manner in which it was achieved will provide a solid platform as they look ahead to the challenges that lie in the coming months of the Women’s Championship and beyond.
Green’s 141 not out was her third century in ODIs and one of her finest. The record partnership with Halliday will stand as a milestone in New Zealand women’s cricket history. And the collective effort that turned a precarious position into a series-clinching total of 306 will be held up as an example of what this side can achieve when it digs deep. On a cool autumn afternoon in Wellington, New Zealand Women reminded everyone why they remain one of the most competitive teams in the women’s game.
