For the second time in a week, South Africa lost to New Zealand in the Zimbabwe Twenty20 Tri-Series. The Kiwis beat the Proteas by seven wickets with 25 balls remaining in the fifth match of the series in Harare in Zimbabwe.
The two sides will face one another again in the final of the series on Saturday, also in Harare.
New Zealand opted to bowl first and Proteas Captain Rassie van der Dussen said that suited them. However, the batters struggled, and Van der Dussen was the first to depart, clean bowled for 14 runs.
This is a dress rehearsal for the series final on Saturday, and New Zealand is pulling out all the stops. Rubin Hermann was run out by the accuracy of Mark Chapman in the field, and the Proteas were on 2 for just 34.
Two of South Africa’s brightest batting prospects, Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius went cheaply. Brevis was caught behind, unable to handle a Will O’Rourke delivery, while Pretorius was out for just one run after playing a delivery to short fine leg.
Mitchell Santner took the wicket of Pretorius, he also had Andile Simelane out leg before wicket, for 11.
Reeza Hendricks provided the best of the South African batting resistance, scoring 41 off 37 balls. However, he was felled by Jacob Duffy in the seventeenth over. Duffy also took care of Gerald Coetzee with the very next ball, out for a first-ball duck.
Senuran Muthusamy launched a ball out of the ground for a six in the 19th over, but he promptly lost his wicket with the very next ball from Adam Milne, as another batter fell to poor ball placement. South Africa finished on 134 for 8, their worst score of the tri-series.
Devon Conway and Tim Seifert undertook the New Zealand chase with swift resolve. They raced to fifty in five overs. However, Simelane took the wicket of Conway, out for 19 after nicking the ball to Pretorius.
Muthusamy got the wicket of Rachin Ravindra in the seventh over with Hendricks taking the catch, as the Proteas were trying to slow the scoring.
The Proteas spinner took his second wicket in the 11th over when Chapman skied a delivery to Hermann at deep backward square leg.
New Zealand crossed the 100-run threshold thanks to Seifert, who brought up a half century as well with a thunderous six.
Seifert hit the winning runs to finish on an unbeaten 66, as New Zealand scored 135 for 3 in the 16th over to win by seven wickets.
