Tri-series title taken in thriller by Black Caps over South Africa
Sunday, 27 July 2025
Tri-series final, Harare: New Zealand 180-5 (Rachin Ravindra 47 from 27 balls, Devon Conway 47 from 31, Tim Seifert 30 from 28; Lungi Ngidi 2-24 from 4 overs) beat South Africa 177-6 (Lhuan-dre Pretorius 51 from 35 balls, Reeza Hendricks 37 from 31, Dewald Brevis 31 from 16; Matt Henry 2-19 from 3 overs) by three runs. Click here for full scoreboard.
Mission highly possible achieved - just.
As New Zealand’s winning run seemed set to come to an end at the most inopportune time overnight, two sensational pieces of fielding saw them grab the T20 tri-series title off South Africa.
The round-robin top qualifiers, with an unbeaten run of four matches, somehow denied the side previously guided by new Black Caps head coach Rob Walter, despite the Proteas needing just eight runs for victory with eight balls available in the final in Harare,
The equation leaned in NZ’s favour at the start of the 19th over of South Africa’s pursuit of 181 to claim the silverware - which turned out to be woodwork - but two sixes from Dewald Brevis as Jacob Duffy lost his length put the chasers in the box seat.
Matt Henry was given the ball for the last over, with the opposition requiring seven to triumph. After a dot ball, Brevis’s hook looked destined to decide the contest, but Michael Bracewell pulled off a tip-toe boundary catch at cow corner.
Bracewell then dropped Corbin Bosch off the next ball when diving forward and two runs were taken, and following a single from the fourth ball, Daryl Mitchell delivered a sprinting, sprawling catch of George Linde at wide long-on to leave new batter Senuran Muthusamy needing four from the final ball to get his side over the line. Henry was up to the task, with his slower ball met only by a waft of air.
New Zealand selected four seamers and left legspinner Ish Sodhi out of the XI despite his career-best figures in the previous match.
It looked a questionable move for a pitch with more cracks than a one-liner stand-up comedian, but spin didn’t have a huge effect on the outcome.
The decision to start Mark Chapman over Bevon Jacobs didn’t pay off, but NZ’s batting was well on the way three-quarters through batting first after South Africa won the toss to registering the biggest score of the tournament after healthy contributions from Tim Seifert (30), Devon Conway (47) and Rachin Ravindra (47).
When South Africa’s best bowler, Lungi Ngidi, had completed his four overs with six still left to be tackled by his team-mates, NZ were nicely poised at 128-3, but couldn’t find the boundary at all in the last 17 balls of the innings.
In what was effectively a two-horse tri-series - with hosts Zimbabwe not winning a match - there wouldn’t have been gold stars handed out liberally by Walter as NZ’s only decent opponents were shorn of stars.
But his notebook will have featured plenty of ticks ahead of the two-test series beginning on Wednesday, given his squad was without the reliable runs from Kane Williamson, the potential Power Play demolition of Finn Allen and the pace and bounce provided by Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson.
Allen’s absence due to a foot injury allowed Conway to stick his boots back in the selection door and has left it ajar at the completion of the series.
The left-hander made an unbeaten 59 against Zimbabwe a week ago, but his following innings - a seemingly innocuous 19 from 18 balls against the Proteas - was truly the precursor to his performance in the final, as he struck the ball far more cleanly in that short stay.
In the showdown, his 47 from 31 balls was based on sweet timing and smart placement, as he tallied six fours and a six and looked in control.
His dismissal was the first time in his innings that his bottom hand had come off the bat - something that has occurred far more frequently during his form slump.
Ravindra equalled Conway’s contribution in four fewer deliveries after jumping swiftly into his stride following the opening partnership worth 75 in just 8.4 overs from Conway and Tim Seifert, and made 143 runs in the series at a strike rate of 158.88 and an average of 35.75.
Opener and wicketkeeper Seifert was the top scorer in the series with 196 (SR 138.02, avg 49) to back up his blistering series at home against Pakistan and further push his case for a spot in the squad for the World Cup starting in February in India and Sri Lanka.
Last-over hero Henry continues to revel in being the leader of the pace attack; heading the wickets tally with 10 at 11.30, with an economy rate of 8.47.