Devon Conway hit a steady 60 as New Zealand bowlers dismantled South Africa for 68 in the second T20I to level the five-match series 1-1 on Tuesday.
NZ vs SA, 2nd T20I: Highlights | Scorecard
Asked to bat at Seddon Park, New Zealand posted 175 for 6 on a surface that became increasingly difficult as the game progressed. South Africa never settled into the chase and were bowled out for 107 in 15.3 overs.
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Conway provided the backbone of the innings, finding boundaries at the other side of the wicket and holding things together as conditions deteriorated. Tom Latham added early momentum with a six and a four using the ramp as New Zealand reached 43 for no loss in the powerplay.
But scoring was more difficult through the middle overs. Latham fell for 11 while Nick Kelly (21 off 12) and Mitchell Santner (20 off 14) started without converting them. Conway, who anchored the inning, eventually fell trying to accelerate.
A late cameo from Josh Clarkson, who hit 26 off just nine balls, ensured a strong finish for New Zealand as 24 runs came from the final over.
The persecution in South Africa never got off the ground. The pitch offered variable bounce and pace and the New Zealand seamers took full advantage of this. Ben Sears (3-14) and Lockie Ferguson (3-16) led the charge as wickets fell regularly.
All ten of South Africa’s wickets came via catches, underscoring their effort to time the ball. The visitors lost six wickets for 40 runs as the innings quickly collapsed.
George Linde provided brief resistance with a quickfire 33 off 12 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes, but Ferguson dismissed him to end any hopes of a fightback.
South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj said his team expected the dew to soften the batting conditions but misread the pitch.
“I thought we played really well up to a certain point and then we lost our way with the bat,” he said. “We thought the dew was going to play a big factor … but the goal got a little bit worse.
The third T20I will be played in Auckland on Friday.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
17 March 2026 16:13 IST
