New Zealand Cruise to Victory Over South Africa in T20 Tri-Series

With the crowd being involved, roaring with excitement at Harare Sports Club on July 22, 2025, New Zealand put on a show in the fifth match of the Zimbabwe Twenty20 Tri-Series, steamrolling South Africa with a seven-wicket win and 25 balls to spare. Their bowlers were like a pack of wolves, hunting down South Africa’s batsmen and keeping their score low, while Tim Seifert’s cool-headed, unbeaten half-century made the chase look like a walk in the park. This one-sided thrashing showed off New Zealand’s all-around firepower and left South Africa with plenty to fix before the series final.

South Africa Fails to Make a Mark

South Africa got off to a rocky start after New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl. The openers, Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks, tried to play it safe, but the pressure hit early. In the third over, Adam Milne came charging in and knocked over van der Dussen’s stumps for 14 runs off 13 balls. The South African skipper had started with some flair, smacking three boundaries, but his early exit left his team at 14/1 after just 2.3 overs.

🕘 Halfway through the first innings.

The Proteas Men have lost a couple of early wickets but continue to build as they reach 55/3 after 10 overs. 🇿🇦🏏

Time to consolidate and push on in the back half. 💪 #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/UdFT7BoFJN

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 22, 2025

Reeza Hendricks dug in, playing the anchor role with a steady 41 runs off 37 balls, including four fours and a six. But he was like a lone soldier, unable to find someone to hold the fort with him. Rubin Hermann, coming in at number three, looked like he might stick around, scratching together 10 runs off 12 balls. But a sloppy mix-up with Hendricks saw him run out in the seventh over, leaving South Africa at 34/2 at the end of the powerplay (0.1–6.0 overs). It was a measly haul for two wickets down.

New Zealand’s bowlers were relentless, squeezing the life out of South Africa’s middle order with pinpoint accuracy. Dewald Brevis, the young hotshot known for his big shots, could only manage 13 runs off 13 balls, hitting two fours before nicking one from Will O’Rourke to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert in the tenth over. That left South Africa wobbling at 52/3. Lhuan-dre Pretorius, the keeper-batter, was next, but he barely got going, scraping just 1 run off 6 balls before Mitchell Santner pinned him lbw in the eleventh over, making it 57/4.

Andile Simelane, batting at six, tried to steady the sinking ship but could only muster 11 runs off 14 balls before Santner struck again, trapping him lbw in the fifteenth over. At 79/5, South Africa were staring down the barrel. Gerald Coetzee pushed up the order to spark something, lasting just one ball, caught by Seifert off Jacob Duffy in the seventeenth over. Hendricks’ gritty knock ended in the same over, caught off Duffy for 41, leaving South Africa at 109/7.

George Linde gave the crowd something to cheer about, staying not out on 23 off 15 balls with a four and a six, dragging the score to something half-decent. Senuran Muthusamy chipped in with a quick 8 off 4 balls, including a six, before getting caught off Milne in the nineteenth over. Nqabayomzi Peter, unbeaten on 7 off 5 balls, hung in there with Linde as South Africa limped to 134/8 in their 20 overs, scraping a run rate of 6.70.

🚨 Change of Innings 🚨

A tough and gritty innings comes to an end on a challenging surface.

Our Proteas men have a task ahead as they look to defend this total! 🇿🇦🔥#WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/5apshOVbk8

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 22, 2025

New Zealand’s bowlers were all over them like a rash. Jacob Duffy and Adam Milne were the enforcers, each grabbing two wickets for 33 and 21 runs. Mitchell Santner was the star, bowling a rare maiden and finishing with 2 wickets for 26 runs in his four overs. Will O’Rourke chipped in with one wicket for 26 runs, and Zakary Foulkes was tight as a drum, giving away just 12 runs in three overs. Their sharp bowling, paired with some slick fielding, kept South Africa on a leash. Extras added 6 runs, with 4 wides, but losing eight wickets at regular intervals meant South Africa never got going.

They hit 50 runs in 9.1 overs and crawled to 100 in 15.3 overs. The powerplay was a flop, yielding just 34 runs, and the middle overs were a nightmare, with New Zealand’s bowlers striking like clockwork. South Africa couldn’t string partnerships together or shake off the pressure, leaving them with a score that felt way short on a good batting track.

Tim Seifert’s Composed Chase

Chasing 135, New Zealand came out swinging with confidence. Openers Devon Conway and Tim Seifert tore into the bowling, racking up a 51-run stand for the first wicket in just 5.2 overs. Conway was all aggression, cracking 19 runs off 18 balls with three fours before Andile Simelane got him, caught by Pretorius in the sixth over. Even with that early hiccup, New Zealand were cruising, hitting 55/1 by the end of the powerplay.

⏳ Into the final phase of the run chase.

Our Proteas Men are digging deep as they work to wrestle some control and break through again. 🇿🇦

New Zealand are 127/3 after 15 overs, needing just 8 runs from 30 balls. 🏏 #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/F9DvxDm8zB

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 22, 2025

Tim Seifert was the man of the hour, playing a blinder of an innings, unbeaten on 66 off 48 balls. His knock had everything, as six fours, two sixes, and a perfect mix of cool-headedness and flair. He kept the scoreboard ticking, finding gaps and staying ahead of the run rate. His fifty came off 38 balls, with five fours and a six, holding the innings together like glue.

Rachin Ravindra, at number three, didn’t fire, scratching out just 3 runs off 5 balls before Reeza Hendricks caught him off Senuran Muthusamy in the seventh over. At 59/2, there was a flicker of hope for South Africa, but Seifert wasn’t fazed. Mark Chapman, the big-hitting Kiwi, added 10 runs off 9 balls with a four, but Muthusamy sent him packing in the eleventh over, leaving New Zealand at 84/3.

Daryl Mitchell walked in and, alongside Seifert, put the game to bed with an unbeaten 51-run stand for the fourth wicket. Mitchell played second fiddle, finishing not out on 20 off 15 balls with two fours. New Zealand crossed 100 in 12.4 overs, helped by a whopping 17 extras, including 17 wides, which made the chase even easier.

🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨

A challenging outing as New Zealand claims victory by 7 wickets 🏏.

Plenty of positives to build on as our Proteas Men now turn their focus to the Tri-Nations Series Final against New Zealand on 26 July 2025 🇿🇦🔥.#WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/NbEAAGU98r

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 22, 2025

They wrapped it up in 15.5 overs, finishing at 135/3 with a run rate of 8.52. South Africa’s bowlers couldn’t find their groove. Senuran Muthusamy was the best of a bad bunch, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs in four overs, while Andile Simelane snagged one for 5 runs in his one over. But George Linde (0/30), Gerald Coetzee (0/37), Kwena Maphaka (0/19), and Nqabayomzi Peter (0/20) got hammered, unable to slow New Zealand’s charge.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

Just when South Africa were trying to find their feet, Mitchell Santner spun a web that choked their innings, earning him the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. He bowled his four overs like a maestro, finishing with 2 wickets for 26 runs at an economy of 6.50. His spell included a rare maiden over, a masterclass in keeping things tight. Santner struck gold by getting rid of Lhuan-dre Pretorius for 1 and Andile Simelane for 11 in quick succession, breaking the back of South Africa’s middle order.

Two wickets each for Adam Milne (2-21), Mitch Santner (2-26) and Jacob Duffy (2-33) in Harare. Follow the chase LIVE in NZ on @threenownz 📺 Live scoring | https://t.co/IFWc27ea4f #SAvNZ #CricketNation 📷 = Zimbabwe Cricket pic.twitter.com/Qt67Bc4ddl

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 22, 2025

His mix of pace and spin had the batters tied in knots, giving away just two fours and a six. That maiden over was like a punch to the gut, leaving South Africa gasping as they struggled to keep up. Santner’s spell was the key to holding them to 134/8, setting up New Zealand’s romp to victory.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

When New Zealand needed someone to step up for the 135-run chase, Tim Seifert delivered big time, earning him the TCNI Hero of the Day. Batting at number two, he played an unbeaten 66 off 48 balls, with a strike rate of 137.50 that lit up the game. His innings was a beauty, packed with six fours and two sixes, picking gaps and smashing loose balls with ease. Seifert’s 71-minute masterclass carried New Zealand to 135/3 in just 15.5 overs.

Player of the Match Tim Seifert guided the team home in Harare today with his 11th T20I half-century (66* off 48). Scorecard | https://t.co/IFWc27ea4f #SAvNZ #CricketNation 📷 = Zimbabwe Cricket pic.twitter.com/VlrYogLRKy

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 22, 2025

He kept things steady after Devon Conway fell for 19 and Rachin Ravindra scratched out 3. Teaming up with Daryl Mitchell, who was not out on 20, Seifert made the chase look effortless, handling spin and pace like a pro. Only Senuran Muthusamy’s 2 for 24 gave him any trouble. Seifert’s calm, commanding knock was the heart of New Zealand’s dominant win.