New Zealand women hit record T20 score of 216 in win over South Africa

Bates hit 16 fours and three sixes in her unbeaten 124 at Taunton

Women's T20 tri-series, Taunton:
New Zealand 216-1 (20 overs): Bates 124*, Devine 73
South Africa 150-6 (20 overs): Van Niekerk 58, Du Preez 36, Jensen 3-28
New Zealand won by 66 runs

Scorecard

New Zealand broke the record for the highest score in a women's Twenty20 international after they made 216-1 on the way to beating South Africa.

Captain Suzie Bates top scored with 124 not out off 66 balls as she and Sophie Devine (73) put on a record 182 for the first wicket at Taunton.

Bates also moved past ex-England skipper Charlotte Edwards as the leading run-scorer in women's T20s.

South Africa was never in the hunt, finishing well short on 150-6.

However, they must recover quickly - with only around two hours' break before they take on England in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

The merciless Bates, 30, peppered the Taunton boundaries with three sixes and 16 fours as the Proteas bowlers struggled for line and length.

Despite becoming the White Ferns' first T20 centurion, she finished just two runs short of equalling the individual women's record of 126 made by Australia's Meg Lanning against Ireland in 2014.

Earlier this month, the Kiwis broke the ODI record when they made 490-4 against Ireland in Dublin.

Needing to set a few records of their own to win, South Africa started well but lost the dangerous Lizelle Lee early and were continually pegged back by some accurate bowling.

While Van Niekerk (58) and Mignon du Preez (36) added 79 for the fifth wicket, the game was gone by then after three wickets fell with the score on 40, while seamer Hayley Jensen was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers with 3-28.

Read more on https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/44552398

This post is from https://www.bbc.com