New Zealand will chase 173 for victory in the fourth T20 International against South Africa at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

The home team managed to score 172 for four in their allotted 20 overs, the highest against their opponents. White Ferns captain Sophie Devine won the toss and elected to field on a ground that has definitely seen better days.

Protea captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, both with a strike rate of more than 100 in the shortest format of the game, once again opened the batting for South Africa. In the first couple of overs, they had to contend with the slow left-arm deliveries of Fran Jones and Jess Kerr’s medium-pacers.

Hearts were in mouths in the third over when Wolvaardt didn’t properly get hold of a Hannah Row delivery but in the end, it went all the way to the boundary for four.

Brits (11, 12b, 1x4) wasn’t as lucky in the fourth over when she tried to force a shot that wasn’t really on. Georgia Plimmer took a comfortable catch from the bowling of Kerr, with the score on 24.

In the seventh over, Anneke Bosch was dropped with her score on 11 when a running attempt at a catch on the deep square leg boundary was dropped. She hit the very next delivery from Devine for four.

The 50-run partnership between Wolvaardt (38) and Bosch (24) was up in the 10th over with the score on 74 for one.

Bosch was just finding her rhythm when a brilliant delivery by Molly Penfold took care of her leg stump. The South African had to walk back for 32 (24b, 4x4) and with the scoreboard on 83 for two.

Wolvaardt was on top of proceedings right from the start and her steady play throughout the innings led to her ninth T20 50 in the 16th over. The Protea captain, however, had to depart the very next delivery when she tried to get on with it and was caught by Devine from the bowling of Hannah Rowe for 53 (44b, 8x4).

Chloe Tryon joined Suné Luus with the score on 120 for three and with 24 balls remaining. The two managed to add another 52 to take South Africa to a competitive 172 for four. Luus finished on 45 (30b, 7x4), dismissed off the last delivery of the innings. Tryon was not out on 22.

SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon.

NEW ZEALAND: Sophie Devine (capt), Kate Anderson, Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr.