Marco Jansen stood up when it mattered especially in the powerplay overs. Jansen was determined to do well in these conditions. He picked up 3 off his 4 wickets in the powerplay before coming back and picking another wicket. The other bowlers chipped in as well to take a wicket. For New Zealand, Mark Chapman top scored with 48 off 26 balls and Daryl Mitchell played well for his 32 off 24 balls and others played their part. This looks a below par score at this stage of the game.
Marco Jansen strikes thrice to peg New Zealand back in powerplay.
Put into bat first, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen came out to bat for New Zealand while Lungi Ngidi came out to bowl for South Africa. Seifert got off the mark with a boundary down to the third man region for a boundary. Ngidi bowled well after the first ball. Kagiso Rabada had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a good first over. Ngidi continued as Allen took him on and sliced it away over backward point for a boundary. Allen slashed it away over point for another boundary. Seifert survived a run out scare as well.
Allen took on Ngidi and launched it over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Allen used the pace and flicked it to short fine leg for a boundary. Marco Jansen came into the attack next as Seifert welcomed him with a slam over long-on for the maximum. Jansen provided the breakthrough for South Africa as he dismissed Seifert for 13 off 9 balls with one four and one six to his name. Rachin Ravindra came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Allen got the edge that ran away to the fence in a flash. Allen took on Jansen and got the top edge over deep backward square leg for the maximum.
Rabada changed ends as Ravindra sliced it away over covers for a boundary as the 50 came up for New Zealand in 4.5 overs. Marco Jansen continued and bowled the last over of powerplay. Ravindra then helped the ball on his way over long leg for the maximum. Jansen hit back and got rid of Ravindra for 13 off 8 balls with one four and one six to his name as Miller took the catch. Drinks was taken after which Glenn Phillips came out to bat next.
Jansen got another as he dismissed Allen for 31 off 17 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the mid-off fielder took the catch. Mark Chapman came out to bat next. At the end of the powerplay, New Zealand were 58/3 with both Phillips and Chapman yet to open the account.
South Africa chip away at wickets to keep New Zealand under check in middle phase.Â
Keshav Maharaj came into the attack post the powerplay as Chapman got down on one knee and swept it to forward square leg for a boundary. Maharaj cleaned up Phillips for 1 off 3 balls. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat and got off the mark while Chapman took him on and pulled it away over midwicket for the maximum. Corbin Bosch came into the attack next. Mitchell hit Bosch for a boundary down the ground over the bowler’s head.
Maharaj continued as Chapman took him on by hitting to deep midwicket for a boundary. Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack and bowled a decent over as New Zealand were 92/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game. Corbin Bosch came into the attack next as Chapman carved it away past backward point for a boundary. The 100 came up for New Zealand in 10.4 overs. Mitchell then lofted the ball over mid-off for a boundary.
Captain Aiden Markram came into the attack next. Mitchell took him on and slammed the ball over long-on for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Chapman took him on now as he picked it up and deposited it over wide long-on for the maximum. Kagiso Rabada came back into the attack. Chapman swatted it away with a pull over backward square leg for a boundary. Chapman thumped him away straight down the ground for a boundary.
Jansen came back into the attack. Chapman slashed it away past backward point for a boundary. Chapman survived a run out chance as well. Jansen broke the budding stand as he dismissed Chapman for 48 off 26 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name as this was a soft dismissal. Captain Mitchell Santner came out to bat next. Drinks was taken at this stage at 138/5 in 14 overs.
Keshav Maharaj returned to the attack and bowled a very quiet over. New Zealand were 140/5 in 15 overs with Mitchell unbeaten on 32 off 23 balls and Santner unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls.
South Africa keep taking wickets and limits New Zealand to 175/7.Â
Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack and removed Mitchell for 32 off 24 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as he was holed out at long-on. Jimmy Neesham came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Corbin Bosch came back into the attack and he removed captain Santner for 4 off 10 balls as he was holed out in the deep. Matt Henry came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Rabada came to bowl the 18th over as the 150 came up for New Zealand in 17.2 overs. Henry managed to get the outside edge through to the deep third man fence for a boundary. Marco Jansen came to bowl the 19th over. Neesham lapped it away over fine leg for a boundary. Corbin Bosch came to bowl the final over of the innings. Neesham hit a boundary first past Rabada at deep backward square leg region. Neesham clubbed the ball down the ground to long-off for a boundary.
Neesham remained unbeaten on 23 off 15 balls with 3 fours to his name while Matt Henry remained unbeaten on 9 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name as New Zealand ended with a below par score of 175/7 in 20 overs. Just one extra given by the fielding side.
Marco Jansen was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa with excellent figures of 4/40 in 4 overs. Lungi Ngidi finished with 1/34 in 4 overs. Keshav Maharaj finished with 1/24 in 3 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 1/34 in 4 overs. Kagiso Rabada bowled well for his 0/27 in 4 overs. Aiden Markram bowled an over for 15 runs. So, this meant that South Africa now need 176 runs for the win.
Who’s Winning, New Zealand or South Africa?Â
South Africa kept chipping away at the wickets and have done well to keep New Zealand down to 175/7 in 20 overs. This is a good score but a below par one. The Kiwis are definitely 20 runs short on a belter of a track with dew around. But if the Kiwis get early wickets then we could have a great game on our hands. The Proteas should win this game one feels at the interval.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: Marco Jansen Strikes Thrice As South Africa Peg Away At The Wickets.