Laura Wolvaardt produced an undefeated century to become the first South African female to record four One-Day International (ODI) centuries as the Proteas Women secured a convincing seven-wicket triumph against New Zealand to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.

Wolvaardt amassed 124* off 141 deliveries, including 15 fours, to lead from the front in the home side’s successful chase of New Zealand’s first innings score of 253 all out, which featured a knock from Amelia Kerr (88 off 110 balls; 14 fours) as well as three-wickets apiece from Nonkululeko Mlaba (3/41) and Nadine de Klerk (3/44).

After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, South Africa was made to work hard for the first wicket as the White Ferns openers, Suzie Bates (14) and Ameila Kerr made a solid start with a 49-run opening stand before Masabata Klaas (2/46) made the all-important breakthrough to dismiss Bates in the 15th over. Klaas soon followed that up with the wicket of the visiting skipper, Sophie Devine (12) to leave New Zealand 66/2 in the 17th over.

A. Kerr was then joined by Maddy Green (43) at the crease before the pair helped the away side regain momentum in the innings, putting on a 92-run partnership for the third wicket, with A.Kerr reaching her seventh ODI fifty as New Zealand reached 119/2 at the halfway mark.

The vital breakthrough eventually came through Mlaba’s left-arm spin, as Green fell six runs short of her half-century before the visitors lost a flurry of wickets during the middle period, with Georgia Plimmer (1), Brooke Halliday (1), as well as A. Kerr, Isabella Gaze (0) and Jess Kerr (4) falling in quick succession.

With the score on 199/8 in the 42nd over, New Zealand’s Hannah Rowe produced a crucial cameo worth 40 runs off 57 balls (3 fours) to help her side reach the 250-run mark before de Klerk wrapped up the innings with two wickets in as many balls in the final over as the White Ferns put up 253 all out after 49.5 overs.

In their chase, South Africa made a measured start through Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits (17) before the latter was the first wicket to fall in the sixth over, which was shortly followed by the wicket of Lara Goodall (3) with the score on 43/2.

South Africa’s innings was then rebuilt in fantastic fashion through a game-changing partnership between Wolvaardt and Suné Luus worth 98 runs for the third wicket as the former raised her bat for her 31st fifty before Luus reached her own milestone prior to being dismissed on 53 off 57 deliveries (5 fours, 1 six).

With South Africa on 141/3, Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp (45) continued to maintain the productive scoring rate towards the winning total as the pair combined for a 116-run stand to take the game away from New Zealand before Wolvaardt raised her bat aloft in glory for her unparalleled ton.

South Africa eventually completed the chase with ease, with the support of a vibrant Pietermaritzburg Oval crowd and with 4.4 overs to spare, to seal a 2-0 series lead and clinch the series with one match to go, which will be in the form of the third edition of the Black Day ODI taking place on Sunday, 01 October at the Kingsmead.