Wolvaardt century, Dercksen five-for seal series for South Africa

Wolvaardt drew level with India's Smriti Mandhana for most international hundreds (18) after her fourth in T20Is while Meso scored her first fifty

South Africa 200 for 1 (Wolvaardt 126*, Meso 50*, Makusha 1-48) beat Zimbabwe 120 (Mavunga 41, Dercksen 5-15) by 80 runs

Zimbabwe have a new public holiday, observed on September 15, to celebrate the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire but it was South Africa's captain Laura Wolvaardt who reigned supreme in Bulawayo. She smashed the highest score by a South African batter in women's T20Is, in a blistering knock of 126 not out against Zimbabwe to seal the five-match series three-nil.

Wolvaardt, who had scores of 6 and 10 from the first two matches, was not going to miss out a third time. She shared in a 173-run stand with Karabo Meso, who notched up her own career-best of 50 not out and South Africa posted their fourth-highest total in the format. Meso's joy was cut short when she left the field with what looked to be a serious injury in the eighth over of Zimbabwe's chase. It has since been confirmed as a groin strain. By then, Zimbabwe were 34 for 6 and their fight all but up.

South Africa made three changes to their XI including at the top of the order where Anneke Bosch was rested after back-to-back fifties and Miane Smit given a chance. Smit was aggressive upfront, and perhaps a bit too early, as she miscued Tendai Makusha to Loreen Tshuma at mid-on in the third over. That was all the joy Zimbabwe had in the field as Meso, highly rated after her performances in the SA20 Schools League, made the most of her promotion to No.3.

Having not batted in the series so far, Meso showed she has both the power and the patience of the big stage, and had the perfect partner to share it with. Zimbabwe struggled with control and Wolvaardt showed no mercy. Her fifty came off 32 balls with an aerial drive over mid-on and she was quick to pounce on anything wide or wayward. There were plenty of the former, as Zimbabwe also sent down 16 wides, which did not help their cause.Annerie Dercksen picked up her maiden five-for•Zimbabwe Cricket

Nyasha Gwanzura's four overs were the most economical and only cost 25 runs, while Michelle Mavunga conceded 21 runs in three overs. The other five bowlers all gave away more than 10 runs per over. Wolvaardt's century came off 54 balls and with two overs still to go in the innings. She upped the ante even more to score 25 runs off the next six balls she faced. In the process, Wolvaardt has only become the only South African to score 3000 T20I runs.

In reply, Zimbabwe were in early trouble. Gwanzura drove Smit's third ball straight back to her and she reacted quickly to run-out Lorraine Pemhiwa at the non-striker's end, before she had even faced a ball. The bizarre dismissals continued when Beloved Biza stepped on her stumps to become Annerie Dercksen's second wicket. Dercksen already had Kelis Ndhlovu given out lbw earlier in the over.

Zimbabwe were 25 for 3 after five overs, 29 for 4 at the end of the powerplay, and 35 for 6 in the eighth and there was no coming back from there. Dercksen picked up her third wicket when she bowled Tshuma, who swung across the line and saw her offstump rock back. The sixth wicket may have ended up costing South Africa more than Zimbabwe. As Meso ran to take a catch off a top-edge she tumbled to the ground, could not get back up and was helped off the field. Jae-Leigh Filander was brought on to keep in her place.

Not for the first time in the series, Zimbabwe's lowest total of 61 seemed like it could be beaten but they clawed their way past it. Debutant offspinner Luyanda Nzuza got her first wicket when Christine Mutasa sent her to Nondumiso Shangase at extra cover to end a 27-run seventh-wicket stand.

The eighth-wicket pair of Mavunga and Loryn Phiri put on 51 before Dercksen bowled Phiri to claim a fourth. Two balls later, Dercksen had Mavunga caught in the deep to complete her five-for. She conceded four off her last ball to finish with figures of 5 for 15 and is the third South African to take five wickets in a T20I innings after Sune Luus and Shabnim Ismail.