New Zealand defeated South Africa by 21 runs in the second match of the Zimbabwe Twenty20 Tri-Series on July 16 at Harare Sports Club. When given the opportunity to bat first, the Kiwis started off well. Tim Seifert got them off to a strong start with his 16-ball 22, but the top order struggled to capitalise. Devon Conway lost nine, including three of the top five: Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay, and James Neesham.
Following that, Tim Robinson led the way with an undefeated 75* off 57 balls, while debutant Bevon Jacobs smashed 44* off 30 balls. They combined for a 103-run unbeaten stand, New Zealand’s second-highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is. The partnership scored 43 runs in the remaining three overs, bringing the total to 173/5.
South Africa responded with an explosive start, with Lhuan-dre Pretorius hitting six boundaries in 27 out of 17 attempts. However, once Matt Henry caught him behind and Duffy removed Rubin Hermann, the Proteas collapsed. By the ninth over, the side had lost Reeza Hendricks, Senuran Muthusamy, and skipper Rassie van der Dussen to low scores.
New Zealand began their series with a victory.
Dewald Brevis, who scored 35 off 18 balls, attempted to steady the innings but was dismissed by Henry. George Linde then scored 30 runs and shared a 37-run stand with Gerald Coetzee to put the team back in the game. Duffy, who was reinstated, dismissed Linde and Kwea Maphaka in consecutive deliveries. Henry then returned to eliminate Coetzee, securing the victory. Duffy (3/20), Henry (3/34), and Ish Sodhi (2/34) shared eight wickets and ensured that the series started on a positive note.
“I clearly feel good. Contributing to a win is always nice. We had a rocky start there, but continuing on with Bev was a pleasure. The Proteas bowlers performed admirably, particularly when fresh hitters arrived. Bev and I were talking about going deeper. It was an excellent wicket, and the ball seemed to soar. I thought the surface was good. It was difficult to get started, but once you got in, you could trust the wicket, and it was a pleasure to bat,” Robinson said after being named Player of the Match.
India
