Zimbabwe women’s tour of New Zealand 2026 begins on a high note new zealand crushed zimbabwe By 92 runs in the 1st T20I at Seddon Park. After being invited to bat, the host team made a challenging score of 202/1 in 20 overs with the help of a brilliant century. amelia kerrbefore sealing a comprehensive victory by restricting Zimbabwe to 110/4.
Amelia Kerr’s masterclass puts New Zealand’s batting performance in the spotlight
New Zealand Women took full advantage of the favorable batting conditions after Zimbabwe chose to bowl first. opener isabella gaze And georgia plimmer Provided a fast start, forming an aggressive partnership that put the visitors under immediate pressure. Plimmer scored 32 runs from just 20 balls, with the help of six brilliant fours, ensuring that the hosts kept the momentum going.
Gaze played a brilliant innings of 66 runs in 50 balls, hitting six fours in the ground and cleverly rotating the strike. However, it was Kerr who stole the headlines. Moving in at No. 3, Kerr produced a brilliant display of timing and placement to score a brilliant unbeaten 101 off just 51 balls with 19 fours. His innings was a blend of elegance and authority, dismantling Zimbabwe’s bowling attack and taking New Zealand to a strong score of 202/1.
Among Zimbabwe’s bowlers, Mohd. Nyasha Gwanzura She was the lone wicket-taker, taking 1/37 from her three overs. The rest of the attack struggled to stem the flow of runs Christabel Chatonzwa Gave 36 runs in his four overs Nomvelo Sibanda Give 26 in three.
After the initial attacks, New Zealand bowlers tightened the screws
Chasing a tough target of 203, Zimbabwe Women were never able to find the rhythm required for such a huge target. The innings got an initial blow Kelis Ndhlovu And Gwanzura was dismissed without troubling the scorers, putting the visitors on the backfoot almost immediately.
Chipo Mugeri Tiripano Tried to counter-attack by scoring 19 runs in 19 balls, hitting four fours, but found it difficult to form a partnership due to regular pressure from the New Zealand bowlers. dear biza Still stood amidst the collapse and scored 49 runs in 55 balls with the help of five fours. Josephine Nkomo He supported him with 25 runs from 34 balls, yet the required rate continued to be out of reach.
The New Zealand bowling unit executed their plans clinically. Kerr displayed his all-round talent by taking 2 for 14 from his four overs and weakened the middle order with quick changes. bree ling And jess kerr While both got one wicket each Nancy Patel And Rosemary Mair maintained control to ensure Zimbabwe were restricted to 110/4 in their 20 overs. The 92-run win gives New Zealand Women a commanding 1-0 lead in the series and sends a strong message at the start of the tour.
New Zealand won by 92 runs over Zimbabwe in the first T20 match.#NZvZIM #ameliacare pic.twitter.com/QLqgTK6Am1
– WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) 25 February 2026
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.