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New Zealand hold nerve to beat Proteas in Harare T20 clash

rugby16 July 2025 15:01| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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New Zealand held their nerve to beat South Africa by 21 runs – with 10 balls to spare – in their Tri-Series T20I clash at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.

The Proteas, who had beaten Zimbabwe by five wickets in their opening match on Monday, will be disappointed that they were unable to reach their victory target of 174, being bowled out for 152 when they looked the likelier winners on a number of occasions during the match.

Having won the toss and sent the Black Caps into bat, the Proteas will regret that they were unable to profit from reducing their opponents to 70-5 in the 10th over with Tim Robinson and Pretoria-born debutant Bevon Jacobs rescuing the innings with an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 103 in 63 balls.

South Africa’s second position of strength came in their opening partnership of 31 in just 3.2 overs with Lhuan-dre Pretorius slamming six fours in his 17-ball 27.

Comfortable playing aggressive strokes, particularly cover drives and pulls, Pretorius looked in prime form and well capable of leading his team to victory.

Out of nowhere, however, he came a cropper when he tried to finesse a late cut off paceman Matt Henry, edging tamely to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.

Rubin Hermann, so effective against Zimbabwe, came and went, splicing a pull off Jacob Duffy to mid-on, then debutant Senuran Muthusamy, sent in early, was bowled playing a loose drive off legspinner Ish Sodhi.

Rassie van der Dussen was then brilliantly run out by Mitchell Santner after he showed indecision in going for a quick single.

The captain’s departure made the total 62-5 in the ninth over, but then Dewald Brevis and George Linde raced to a partnership of 39 in 20 balls with Brevis belting three huge sixes in his 20-ball 35 before he gave his wicket away lofting Henry to Darryl Mitchell at wide mid-on.

Linde, however, took over Brevis’s mantle as he and Gerald Coetzee added 37 in 27 balls with the left-hander striking two huge sixes.

But then, with 26 needed off 14 balls, Duffy bowled a slow bouncer that Linde mistimed to Devon Conway on the midwicket boundary.

The game was up, with Kwena Mphaka going next ball and Coetzee holing out to Jimmy Neesham – New Zealand’s pre-eminent fielder in a brilliant fielding display from the Black Caps – in the 19th over.

ROBINSON-JACOBS TO THE RESCUE

Earlier, player of the match Robinson and debutant Jacobs added an adventurous 103 off 63 balls in their team’s moment of crisis with Robinson striking six fours and three sixes in his 75 in 57 balls, his second T20I half-century and his biggest score to date, while Jacobs cracked three sixes and a four in his 30-ball 44.

The pair enjoyed a few early moments of luck but finally gauged the pace and bounce in the pitch to take the fight to their opponents.

The New Zealand top-order had mistimed a succession of hooks to the outfield, with Conway (9), Mitchell (5) and Neesham (0) all top-edging their shots to boundary riders off short-pitched deliveries by South Africa’s pacemen.

Opener Seifert, who fell to a good catch by Muthusamy on the square-leg boundary, was undone by a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi.

The most effective bowler for the Proteas was Muthusamy who trapped Mitchell Hay leg before to claim the excellent figures of 1-19 in his four overs.

He varied his pace and angles off attack subtly and was unlucky not to claim more wickets.

Kwena Maphaka took 2-38 in four, while Gerald Coetzee and Ngidi took one scalp apiece.

Speaking afterwards, Van der Dussen said: “Our bowlers did their part but we couldn’t get it together with the bat. But in saying that there’s a certain way that we want to play. It’s not a good batting performance but it’s not the end of the world.”

The victorious Kiwi captain, Santner, described the win as “a great team performance”.

He said Robinson and Jacobs’s partnership was “outstanding”.

“The Proteas put us under pressure in the powerplay but to get to 173 was good. We also learnt that getting wickets regularly would help in the second innings.”

SOUTH AFRICA: Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Rassie van der Dussen (capt), Rubin Hermann, Dewald Brevis, George Linde, Senuran Muthusamy, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi

NEW ZEALAND: Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mitch Hay, Bevon Jacobs, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner (capt), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

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