Reyneke, Khaka and Mlaba star in South Africa's series-levelling win

South Africa Women levelled the series 1-1 with an 18-run win over New Zealand in the second T20I at Hamilton on Tuesday (March 17).

Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba shared seven wickets between them, keeping the middle order in check to defend 177.

At one point, New Zealand were strongly placed at 70/2, with the in-form Amelia Kerr and Sophie Devine steering them through a strong Powerplay. But Mlaba trapped Kerr lbw in front, and Nadine de Klerk cleaned up Devine the following over.

It slowed down New Zealand: with ten overs to go, they needed 90. Izzy Sharp kept them in the hunt, but Khaka's change of pace made her difficult to score off, both in her first spell and later on.

Mlaba, too, kept it slow and loopy, crucially accounting for Suzie Bates in the 14th over that left Sharp short on partners. Her hat-trick of fours against de Klerk in the 17th over kept their hopes alive. She almost had her fourth, but Sune Luus at the boundary stuck her arm out for a brilliant grab, only to fumble while parrying it back. Needing 36 from three overs, they ended up being all out five balls out.

Kerr later pinned the result on the inability to rotate strike enough and find the boundaries in the middle overs.

The difference maker for South Africa, and the Player of the Match, was Kayla Reyneke.

South Africa's innings had been built on the back of Tazmin Brits, who came out attacking in the Powerplay, regularly piercing the off-side field and playing down the ground. She reached her fifty in the 11th over: at 100/1, they looked set to double that.

However, Brits's dismissal sparked a mini collapse of sorts: from 110/1, they slipped to 120/4. A late push was needed to challenge New Zealand's batting, especially on the back of an 80-run loss in the first game.

That's when Reyneke came into the picture.

Facing Devine for the 20th over, Reyneke hit three sixes in a row, reading the change of pace and punishing slot balls with golf-like swings down the ground. Those three sixes ended up being a crucial difference in the end, putting together a key stand with Laura Wolvaardt.

"It is not the name, but the bowler. The ball," she later said. "I was just watching the ball, trying to clear the boundaries."

Brief scores:South Africa Women 177/5 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 53, Laura Wolvaardt 43*, Amelia Kerr 2-29, Jess Kerr 2-34) beat New Zealand Women 159 all out in 19.1 overs (Amelia Kerr 32, Izzy Sharp 29, Ayabonga Khaka 4-27, Nonkululeko Mlaba 3-27) by 18 runs.