Proteas Women starlet Kayla Reyneke again impressed in the third T20 against New Zealand.
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Rising star Kayla Reyneke was one of the few Proteas Women's players to emerge with her reputation enhanced from the crushing six-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the third T20I of the five-match series at Eden Park on Friday.
Reyneke scored a fighting 34* in an innings of 149/7 that underlined her growing influence in the Proteas Women’s line-up, yet the visitors were left to rue a below-par total and a costly finish with the ball as the hosts chased down the target with relative comfort. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt's 37 was the only other notable score on an otherwise dismal batting scorecard.
“It’s a tough loss to take,” Reyneke admitted afterwards. “With the bat, we probably didn’t execute in the middle overs, and in the bowling we just completely lost it a bit there at the end.”
South Africa’s innings never quite found the acceleration expected on the Eden Park surface after the loss of early wickets in the powerplay. Reyneke felt the Proteas were short of a competitive total, pointing to the modern benchmark in the format. “We were maybe 20 or 30 runs short,” she said. “The par score nowadays in T20s is 160-plus.”
Despite the disappointment, the young batter continues to emerge as one of the bright spots on tour. Having already played a match-winning hand earlier in the series, Reyneke described her introduction to international cricket as a wave she is determined to ride.
“It’s pretty cool. I’m trying to ride this wave as long as possible. I’m just enjoying every moment and want to contribute and play my role in the team,” she said.
Conditions at Eden Park, with its short boundaries, have often tempted batters and bowlers alike into overcommitting, and Reyneke acknowledged that South Africa may have been slightly off their execution.
“That was a discussion in camp, but I think our bowlers missed our length a bit, maybe just a touch too short,” she explained. “And with the bat, as I said, we didn’t execute in the middle phases, which is really important in T20 cricket.”
New Zealand’s chase was anchored by a decisive partnership, with experienced all-rounder Sophie Devine once again proving her value. Reyneke had nothing but respect for the White Ferns veteran but stressed the importance of sticking to plans rather than reputations.
“She’s an incredible player, huge respect for her. But when it comes to the field, it’s about executing your plans – whether with bat or ball.”
While the result is a setback, as New Zealand pulled 2-1 ahead in the series with two matches left, Reyneke was quick to emphasise the need for perspective in a squad still building towards bigger goals.
“One game can’t define us as a team. We’re a very strong side with good cricket brains in the camp, not just in management but the players also," she said. “It’s still a long tour, so we’re trying to stay as positive as possible and obviously not to look too far ahead. We're going to see what we can do better in the next one."
With a demanding schedule ahead – including the remainder of the New Zealand tour and a looming series against India – the Proteas Women are keeping their focus narrow, even with a World Cup on the horizon.
“We’re aware of what’s coming, but we don’t want to look too far ahead. Right now it’s about this series and what we can do better in the next game,” Reyneke said.
For Reyneke, that next opportunity cannot come soon enough. The final two fixtures in the T20 series will take pace in Wellington on Sunday and Christchurch on Wednesday, with the three-match ODI series starting next week Sunday.