After a dominant performance by the hosts in the T20Is, the action has moved on to the one-dayers, as New Zealand Women (NZ W) are all set to go up against South Africa Women (SA W) in the first ODI of the series on Sunday, March 29, at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand women will enter the ODI series on the back of a brilliant 3-2 win in the shortest format. They looked dominant against the Proteas and would probably want to maintain the same in the ODIs as well. The Amelia Kerr-led unit would not mind signing off on the multi-format assignment with a win in both the formats.

South Africa Women, on the other hand, looked quite pale in T20Is, something that doesn't define their strong hold at all. However, they are without some of their key players like Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, which must be hurting the squad balance. However, they still have quite a few good players who can turn the tides in their favour. Laura Wolvaardt would want her side to start the ODIs with a win.

NZ W vs SA W: Match Details

Match	New Zealand Women vs South Africa Women, 1st ODI, South Africa Women's tour of New Zealand 2026
Date and Time (IST)	Sunday, March 29, 11:30 AM
Venue	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Broadcast and Live-Streaming	FanCode (App & Website)

Hagley Oval, Christchurch: Pitch Report

The beautiful venue of the Hagley Oval in Christchurch will be hosting a Women's ODI after a gap of more than two years, and it is expected to offer a pitch that gets better for batting as the match progresses. Chasing teams have dominated at this venue across multiple games played here. As a result, opting to field first will put the team winning the toss in an ideal scenario to come out on top.

NZ W vs SA W: Predicted Playing XIs New Zealand Women

Amelia Kerr (captain), Issy Gaze, Suzie Bates, Brooke Halliday, Georgia Plimmer, Flora Devonshire, Maddy Green, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing, Jess Kerr, and Kayley Knight

South Africa Women

Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Derckson, Kayla Reyneke, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wicketkeeper), Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune

NZ W vs SA W: Probable Best Performers of the Match Probable Best Batter: Laura Wolvaardt

Skipper Laura Wolvaardt has undoubtedly been the most consistent performer for the South African side over the last two-three years. As someone who finds runs without playing risky strokes or a defensive approach, Laura can actually carry the weight of the batting unit on her shoulders and produce a sweet knock on Sunday. 

Probable Best Bowler: Amelia Kerr

While the Proteas skipper is expected to fire with the bat, her opposition counterpart Amelia Kerr can be the best woman with the ball in Christchurch. She was recently named the Cricketer of the Year by New Zealand Cricket, which would give her the added amount of confidence to make her ball drift a little extra in the first fixture of the three-match series.

Today's Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match