NZ vs SA 2025/26, NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Match Report, March 20, 2026

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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

New Zealand’s men’s team joined their women took a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series against South Africa, in another one-sided affair.

Despite talk of a batter-friendly surface, South Africa struggled to a score of 136 for 9 and were tied down by New Zealand’s spinners and a spectacular effort from Lockie Ferguson. His return of 4-0-9-1 was the second-fewest runs conceded in a men’s T20I at Eden Park.

Only two South African batters, Nqobani Mokoena (at No.10) and George Linde scored more than 20 as their improvised batting line-up struggled to set the tone.

New Zealand were untroubled in the chase. Devon Conway, who will not play again in the series, and Tom Latham put on an opening stand of 96 inside 11 overs which shaved off the bulk of the target. Though Gerald Coetzee (0 for 23 in four overs) was economical, South Africa barely posed a threat to New Zealand, who reached the target with 22 balls to spare.

Santner leaves South Africa in tatters

In his final match of this series, Mitchell Santner made sure he had a big say with an incisive opening spell. With Wiaan Mulder dismissed for a duck and South Africa in early trouble, Santner brought himself on in the fourth over and struck either side of the powerplay to put New Zealand at a massive advantage. Santner had success with his second ball when Connor Esterhuizen, in a new role at No.3 tried to hit a short ball down the ground, but sliced it to Nick Kelly at mid-on. Ben Sears got rid of de Zorzi in the fifth over before Santner delivered one that turned away from Jason Smith, who tried to cut, and handed Conway a catch at point. That made it the third time in three matches that Santner has dismissed Smith, who has scored just 32 runs in the series so far.

The nineteen-year old has already established himself as a bowler who can keep his head in pressure situations but today, he showed he can do it with the bat too. Mokoena came in with South Africa 109 for 8 in the 15th over and in danger of not batting out their overs. A No.10 may usually approach things cautiously but Mokoena thumped the first ball he faced, off Kyle Jamieson, for six and brought up his first international runs with that shot too. After a quiet next three overs – South Africa scored just eighth runs between the 16th and 18th – Mokoena took matters into his own hands again. He sent a Sears slower ball over cover for six more and then ended the innings by flicking Kyle Jamieson fine for four and pulling the final ball for six. Mokoena’s 26 not out was South Africa’s top-score.

New Zealand own the powerplay

South Africa were 41 for 3 in the powerplay and 46 for 5 two overs later and New Zealand’s reply could not have been more different. They stormed to 48 without loss in the first six overs and the contest was all but over. Lutho Sipamla, playing in his first match on the tour, took particular punishment as his second over cost 21 runs and nothing he tried worked. Latham sent his lower ball for six, then flicked him off his pads for four. Sipamla tried a wider line to Conway, who pulled him in front of square for six, and then held length back and was pulled again, for four.

He had not played a T20 in nearly three years before being selected for this series but Latham showed what he could do with his fourth half-century in the format. He reached fifty off the 45th ball he faced when he swept Maharaj past square leg and emphasised his favourite scoring area. Latham scored 44 of his runs behind square, including five fours and a six. He will take over the captaincy from Santner for the remaining two matches.

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