South Africa National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: New Zealand registered a dominant eight-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 137, New Zealand reached 137 for 2 with 22 balls to spare, powered by an opening stand between Devon Conway and Tom Latham. Latham remained unbeaten on 63, while Conway scored 39 in what was his final appearance of the series.
Earlier, South Africa struggled to 136 for 9 despite expectations of a batting-friendly surface. Their innings never gained momentum as New Zealand’s bowlers maintained tight control throughout.
Mitchell Santner led the bowling effort with 2 for 21, striking crucial blows during the powerplay. Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson picked up two wickets each, while Lockie Ferguson delivered an exceptional spell of 1 for 9 in four overs — one of the most economical returns in men’s T20Is at Eden Park.
South Africa’s batting lineup faltered early, slipping to 41 for 3 in the powerplay and further collapsing to 46 for 5 soon after. George Linde and No. 10 batter Nqobani Mokoena were the only players to cross the 20-run mark.
Mokoena provided late resistance with an unbeaten 26, scoring aggressively in the death overs to push South Africa past 130. His innings included multiple boundaries and two sixes.
In response, New Zealand dominated from the outset. Conway and Latham added 96 runs for the opening wicket inside 11 overs, effectively sealing the contest early. South Africa’s bowlers struggled to make an impact, with Gerald Coetzee being the most economical but unable to create breakthroughs.
Latham, who had not played a T20 international in nearly three years before this series, brought up his half-century off 45 balls and anchored the chase with a composed innings.
With this victory, New Zealand took control of the series, moving ahead 2-1 with two matches remaining.
Brief Score
New Zealand 137 for 2 (Latham 63*, Conway 39) beat South Africa 136 for 9 (Santner 2-21, Sears 2-27, Jamieson 2-42) by eight wickets