The New Zealand Women secured a 66-run win in the third ODI against the Proteas Women in Wellington on Saturday to seal a 2-1 series win.

Maddy Green’s 141* off 128 deliveries and Brooke Halliday’s 98 off 124 helped the hosts post 306-7 in their 50 overs.

Rosemary Mair then returned figures of 5-50 as the Proteas Women were dismissed for 240 in 46.1 overs.

South Africa won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first.

The visitors made a superb start to the contest, with Ayanda Hlubi (2-47) and Tumi Sekhukhune (2-57) ripping through the top order with three early wickets, including Suzie Bates (nought), Georgia Plimmer (one) and the in-form Amelia Kerr (nought), to leave the hosts 3-3 in the fourth over.

With their backs against the wall, New Zealand responded with a half-century stand between Green and Halliday, pushing their side to 62-3 after 17 overs.

The experienced pair continued to rebuild the innings for the White Ferns, with both batters bringing up their half-centuries to propel the score to 127-3 after 31 overs.

Green and Halliday then upped the ante after reaching their respective milestones, bringing up a 200-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Nadine de Klerk (1-55) made the crucial breakthrough by finding Halliday’s edge, just two runs short of her century.

With the total on 215-4 with 10 overs to go, Green continued to lead the charge for the home side, advancing to her third ODI century as the White Ferns passed 300, despite losing three more wickets through Hlubi, Nonkululeko Mlaba (1-70) and a run-out by Sekhukhune.

In their chase, South Africa’s opening pair of Tazmin Brits (25) and Laura Wolvaardt (69 off 68) put on a 50-run stand to take the touring side to 65-0 after 12 overs before Brits departed off the bowling of Mair.

Another half-century stand between Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen (47) helped the Proteas Women maintain their momentum, with the captain bringing up her fifty to guide her side to 134-1 at the halfway mark.

The partnership was eventually ended in the 26th over, with Wolvaardt caught off the bowling of Kayley Knight (1-48) before her partner soon followed, dismissed by Mair, reducing South Africa to 149-3.

Anneke Bosch (three) was the next wicket to fall, mistiming a delivery from Mair, before Amelia Kerr (2-37) and Nensi Patel (1-40) claimed two more wickets to further curtail South Africa’s chase as the visitors reached 204-6 after 40 overs.

Despite a cameo from Chloé Tryon (29), the Proteas Women lost their remaining wickets, with Mair completing her five-wicket haul alongside scalps from Jess Kerr (1-45) and Kerr to hand New Zealand victory.