White Ferns captain Sophie Devine plays a shot during her century. Photo / Photosport
White Ferns captain Sophie Devine plays a shot during her century. Photo / Photosport
Sophie Devine has broken a world record on her way to blasting one of the best Twenty20 innings by a New Zealander.
Devine has become the first female to reach 50 in five consecutive Twenty20 internationals, and she then went even better - notching her first Twenty20 century with a phenomenal innings against South Africa at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The White Ferns captain smashed a superb 105 from just 65 balls, becoming just the second New Zealand female to reach three figures in a T20, after Suzie Bates.
She also combined with Bates - who made 47 from 46 balls - in a 142-run second-wicket partnership - the biggest second-wicket stand for New Zealand, and highest of all-time against a tier-one women's cricket nation.
For Devine, accomplishing her first century alongside a good friend and teammate, and at her home ground, was an emotional moment.
"To bring up a T20 hundred is a special occasion, but to have Suzie Bates out there who I've played a lot of cricket with, I remember being there for her first T20 century as well, so that was awesome.
"Me and Suzie have batted a lot together in the last couple of years, and to be able to come together and put on a winning total is really satisfying. When you've played cricket with someone for so long, it's nice to share moments like that.
"To bring it up at the Basin Reserve, where I've played and watched a lot of cricket, it's a moment that I certainly won't forget."
It led the White Ferns to 171-2, with Devine - who already holds the record for the fastest T20 50 - now setting a new world record with her brilliant form, both international and domestic, continuing.
Devine, who offered some chances but was aided by sloppy South African fielding, has now notched scores of 54 not out, 61, 77 and 105 in the first four games of the five-match series against South Africa, adding to her 72 in her last Twenty20 against India in 2019 to make it five fifties on the trot.
South Africa's captain Dane van Neikerk reacts to dropping a catch. Photo / Photosport
That surpassed the previous record of four held by India's Mithali Raj, and Devine made sure she didn't miss out on more feats, getting through to her maiden Twenty20 century by striking a boundary with four balls left in the innings.
Devine put her recent form down to a quest to be more consistent.
"The last 12 months I've really challenged myself to be consistent with my performances. If I looked at my batting career a couple of years ago I was really inconsistent – so it's been a focus to be able to produce performances like that game after game."
She was run out on the penultimate ball to end up on 105, contributing a remarkable 61 per cent of the White Ferns' runs, and giving South Africa an almighty target to chase.
They didn't come close - being bowled out for 102, with Anna Peterson taking 3-14, Jess Kerr 2-17, and Devine, of course, chipping in with a wicket and a catch as the White Ferns sealed a series victory with a game to spare.
