Wellington, 22 March (H.S.):
South Africa’s men’s team pulled off a fighting win against New Zealand in the fourth T20 International at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Sunday, 22 March 2026. The visitors chased down a modest target to claim a 19‑run victory and square the five‑match series at 2‑2, with the final decider now set for Wednesday, 25 March in Christchurch.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, South Africa posted 164 for 5 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper‑batter Connor Esterhuizen anchored the innings with a brisk 57 off 36 balls, laced with three sixes and seven fours. His knock set a solid platform that allowed the tail‑enders to push the score past 160 despite late‑order wickets. Tony De Jager contributed 23, Rubin Hermann remained not out on 28, while Dian Forrester (19), Jason Smith (19) and George Linde (14 not out) added useful cameos to keep the scoring rate healthy.
In reply, New Zealand began their run‑chase in confident fashion, reaching over 50 inside the powerplay and finding themselves well‑placed at 88 for 3 after 10 overs. However, South Africa’s pacers and spinners turned the game around with a cluster of quick wickets. Gerald Coetzee led the South African attack with 3 for 31, while Ottniel Bartman, Prenelan Subrayen and Keshav Maharaj claimed two wickets apiece and Wiaan Mulder picked up one.
The top order struggled to build on the early momentum, with Kaiten Clarke (9) and Tim Robinson (32) departing early. Dane Cleaver (26), Bevon Jacobs (3) and skipper James Neesham (6) all fell cheaply, while Nick Kelly (19), Cole McConchie (10) and Jackery Fockes (7) added small but important runs before collapsing in the final overs.
The innings ended on 145 for 10 in 18.5 overs, handing South Africa a 19‑run win and taking the series to a fifth‑match finale.
New Zealand’s best bowling came from Kyle Jamieson (2 for 23), Fockes, Ben Sears and McConchie, who each took one wicket, but they could not prevent the visitors from cashing in on the middle‑overs wickets.
With the series now level, the final T20 in Christchurch takes on added significance as both sides look to close the tour on a positive note.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
