New Zealand Women vs South Africa Women, 2020: 4th T20I – Sophie Devine's maiden T20I century, 5th consecutive fifty-plus T20I score and more stats

New Zealand Women took a winning lead of 3-1 in the 5-match T20I series against South Africa following a 69-run win in the Wellington T20I. Skipper Sophie Devine continued her brilliant form with the bat scoring a 65-ball 105 with 12 fours and 3 sixes.

She shared a 142-run partnership with Suzie Bates (47*) to help the hosts finish on 171/2. No player except Lizelle Lee (25) could get to 20-run mark in the chase as the South African Women were bowled out for 102 in only 17 overs.

All the statistical highlights from New Zealand Women’s 69-run win over South Africa:

Maiden T20I century for Devine:

1 – Sophie Devine is now the first player to score a century in Women’s T20I cricket on New Zealand soil. The previous highest Women’s T20I score in New Zealand was Smriti Mandhana’s 86 in the Hamilton T20I also played on 10th February in 2019. Devine’s 77-run knock on Sunday was the highest T20I score for New Zealand Women at home.

105 – Devine also became only the 2nd player to score a century in the T20I format for New Zealand Women. Suzie Bates scored an unbeaten 124 in the 2018 Taunton T20I also against South Africa Women.

A World record for Devine:

5* – Sophie Devine has now become only the first player in the history of T20I format across Men’s and Women’s cricket to record fifty-plus scores in five consecutive innings. Devine has scored 50+ runs in seven of her last eight T20I innings.

Mithali Raj (2016-2018) in Women’s cricket while Brendon McCullum (2008-2009) and Chris Gayle (in 2012) in Men’s T20I cricket have recorded four successive fifty-plus scores.

Devine’s batting record against South Africa:

7 – Sophie Devine has recorded seven fifty-plus scores across 9 T20I innings against South Africa Women. She is only the 2nd player after Stafanie Taylor (7 in 20 innings against Sri Lanka) to record as many as seven 50+ scores against an opponent in T20I cricket (Men/Women). Virat Kohli’s six fifties against Australia are the most 50+ scores against an opponent in Men’s T20Is.

6* – Devine now has scored a fifty in each of her last six T20I innings against South Africa Women. She scored 54*, 61, 77 and 105 across four matches in this series and had scores of 73 and 68* during the 2018 Tri-Nation T20I series in England against the Protea Women. No player before Devine has more than four consecutive 50+ scores in T20I format across both Men’s and Women’s cricket.

A record partnership between Bates and Devine:

142 – The 142-run partnership between Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates is now the 3rd highest in the T20I format for New Zealand Women. The duo shared a 182-run stand for the opening wicket in 2018 also against South Africa Women. During the same month, Bates was involved in an unbeaten 142-run opening stand with Jess Watkin against Ireland Women.

10 – Suzie Bates has been part of 10 out of the 12 100-run partnerships recorded for New Zealand Women in T20Is. Bates is now the first player in Women’s T20Is to be part of ten century stands. Rohit Sharma (11) is the only other player to be involved in 10+ century stands in T20I cricket (Men/Women).

A series to remember for Sophie:

4 – Sophie Devine became the first player in Women’s cricket with four fifty-plus scores in a T20I series/tournament. She is also the first player with four 50+ scores in a bilateral T20I series across Men’s and Women’s cricket. Matthew Hayden in 2007 WT20 and Virat Kohli in 2014 WT20 are the only players with four 50+ scores in a T20I series/tournament in Men’s cricket.

4 – Sophie also became the first captain in Women’s cricket with four consecutive fifty-plus scores in the T20I format. Only Aaron Finch has scored four consecutive 50+ scores in T20Is as captain in Men’s cricket.

Devine’s all-round efforts:

4 – Sophie Devine is only the 4th player in Women’s cricket to score a century and take a wicket in the same T20I. Deandra Dottin (vs South Africa in 2010), Sterre Kalis (vs Germany in 2019) and Chamari Atapattu (vs Australia in 2019) are the other players to achieve this double in Women’s T20Is.

10 – Devine has picked up at least one wicket and she scored 50+ runs in the same T20I match on ten occasions. Only Stafanie Taylor (10) has achieved this double as many times as Devine across Men’s and Women’s T20I cricket.

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