After three abandoned fixtures, South Africa and New Zealand finally met in the fourth T20I in Benoni, where an unbeaten 135-run partnership between Amelia Kerr (70*) and Sophie Devine (61*) sealed the win for the visitors by eight wickets.

Their half-centuries helped New Zealand recover after losing both openers in the chase of 173 inside the powerplay, and after that, their partnership, including 14 fours and three sixes, didn’t give South Africa a way in. It is also the highest partnership for the third wicket for New Zealand, breaking the record of 124 previously held by Katey Martin and Amy Sattherthwaite. Masabata Klaas and Tumi Sekhukhune took a wicket apiece, but were also expensive, conceding 75 runs in their combined seven overs.

That South Africa were without Marizanne Kapp and Lara Goodall didn’t help their cause either. Kapp sustained a bruise to her lower right leg after being hit by a ball during the second T20I, while Goodall experienced a right ankle sprain during a warm-up fielding drill ahead of the aforementioned game. Both players will be unavailable for the fifth T20I as well but are expected to be back to training next week.

In their batting innings, South Africa made a promising 172 for 4 after being asked to bat first at the toss, on the back of Laura Wolvaardt’s ninth half-century. She helped South Africa stitch a 53-run partnership with Anneke Bosch and a 37-run partnership with Sune Luus, but the skipper fell for 53, in the 16th over, to Hannah Rowe. Luus, with her unbeaten 30-ball 45, and Chloe Tryon (22 off 10) provided the late flourish as South Africa hit 67 runs in the last five overs, but eventually their target was chased with seven balls to spare.

The fifth and final T20I in the series will be played in Benoni again on Sunday.