Marco Jansen stood up and rescued South Africa when they were in trouble in the end overs. South Africa were 77/5 at one stage and 108/5 in 15 overs but added 61 runs in the last 5 overs to post 169/8 in 20 overs with good help from Tristan Stubbs. New Zealand were good with the ball and sloppy in the field. Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, and Cole McConchie picked up 2 wickets apiece. Despite the recovery by South Africa, New Zealand will feel they can chase this down.
Cole McConchie’s double strike rattles South Africa, but they keep it steady in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, captain Aiden Markram and keeper batter Quinton de Kock came out to bat for South Africa while Matt Henry came onto bowl for New Zealand. Quinton took the bowling on and heaved it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. Cole McConchie came onto the attack next. Quinton used his feet and slammed it over mid-on for a boundary. But the bowler had the last laugh as Quinton holed out to Ferguson at mid-off. Ryan Rickelton came in next and slashed a short and wide ball straight to Finn Allen at backward point who made no mistake.
Dewald Brevis faced the hat-trick ball and got the outside edge past the third man area for a boundary. Matt Henry continued and gifted 4 wides to the batting side as a bonus. Lockie Ferguson came into the attack next. Markram batting on 3 and the score at 22 was given a lifeline as Ravindra at short midwicket dropped a sitter. Markram added salt to the wounds as he creamed the ball through the covers for a boundary.
Jimmy Neesham came into the attack next. Markram took him on and nailed it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Brevis joined the fun as he drove the ball past Santner at mid-off for a boundary and then drove him again through the same area for a boundary. Ferguson came to bowl the last over of powerplay and bowled a decent over. South Africa were 48/2 in 6 overs with Markram unbeaten on 16 off 15 balls and Brevis unbeaten on 15 off 12 balls. Players and umpires took a break for Drinks.
New Zealand chip away at wickets at regular intervals to keep South Africa under pressure in middle phase.Â
Captain Mitchell Santner came into the attack post the powerplay as the 50 came up for South Africa in 6.4 overs. Rachin Ravindra came into the attack next. It was redemption story for Ravindra as he removed Markram for 18 off 20 balls with one four and one six to his name as Daryl Mitchell took the catch inches from the ground. The TV umpire was called in and it was deemed a clean catch in the end. David Miller came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Santner continued as Brevis thumped himhard over midwicket for the maximum. Ravindra continued and Miller was dropped while batting on 3 and score of 67 in 9 overs when Glenn Phillips above all people dropped the catch in the deep. Brevis then took on Ravindra and launched him hard over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ravindra got his man again as he dismissed Miller for 6 off 6 balls as his miscue shot was caught by Mitchell at long-off. Tristan Stubbs came out to bat next as South Africa were 77/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game.
Jimmy Neesham came back into the attack and got rid of Brevis for 34 off 27 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name as he drove it on the up to short extra cover. Marco Jansen came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Ravindra continued and bowled a good over. Mitchell Santner came back into the attack as Jansen got the edge that went away to the deep third man fence. Ravindra continued as Jansen stepped out and tonked it straight down the ground for the maximum. The 100 came up for South Africa in 13.5 overs.
South Africa were 101/5 in 14 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break, the second of the innings. Lockie Ferguson came back into the attack. Ferguson overstepped but the free hit yielded a single only. South Africa reached 108/5 in 15 overs with Jansen unbeaten on 20 off 16 balls and Stubbs unbeaten on 10 off 13 balls. Match was in the balance at this stage.
Marco Jansen’s blitzy half-century powers South Africa to 169/8 in 20 overs.Â
Mitchell Santner came back to bowl his final over and kept things tight. Matt Henry returned to the attack as Jansen took the attack and dispatched the ball over midwicket for the maximum. Stubbs joined in the fun as the batter bisected the ball through deep midwicket for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Neesham returned to the attack and now he went the distance here.
Stubbs took Neesham on with a smash past the umpire down the ground for a boundary. Stubbs then cleared his front leg and whacked it over forward square leg for the maximum. Jansen then joined in the fun as he tickled the ball on the pads past the keeper for a boundary and then launched the pull over Chapman for the maximum at deep midwicket.
Ferguson came back into the attack and cleaned up Stubbs for 29 off 24 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name. Corbin Bosch came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Jansen cleared his front leg and pulled it over midwicket for the maximum. Jansen went big again as he lofted it over long-on for the maximum. Jansen got to his fifty in 27 balls.
Matt Henry came to bowl the final over of the innings. He removed Bosch by cleaning him up for 2 off 3 balls. Kagiso Rabada came out to bat next. Rabada went for the big one straightaway and chipped it straight to the long-on fielder as Neesham took the catch. Keshav Maharaj came out to bat next and got off the mark while Jansen got a brace to end the innings.
South Africa finished with a competitive 169/8 in 20 overs with Jansen unbeaten on 55 off 30 balls alongside Maharaj unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 14 extras given by the fielding side. The Kiwis bowled decently out there. Rachin Ravindra finished with 2/29 in 4 overs. Matt Henry finished with 2/34 in 4 overs. Cole McConchie bowled an over for 9 runs and picked up 2 wickets. Lockie Ferguson finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Jimmy Neesham finished with 1/42 in 3 overs. Captain Mitchell Santner finished with 0/25 in 4 overs. New Zealand now needs 170 runs to win and qualify for the finals.
Who’s Winning, South Africa or New Zealand?Â
South Africa recovered from a tricky situation and finished with a competitive 169/8 in 20 overs. The pitch is slightly on the slower side. So, Marco Jansen has given the Proteas hope in this game one feels. If there is less or no dew, this will be a great contest. Dew comes in and makes its presence felt, then New Zealand may have an advantage. First few overs of the chase will be crucial. The game is 50-50 at the interval.
Let’s see how things unfold in the chase.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: New Zealand Strikes Early To Keep South Africa Under Check.