Click it and Unblock the Notifications
A Oneindia Venture
South Africa vs New Zealand Scorecard, 1st T20I, South Africa in New Zealand 2026
Result · Mar 15 2026, Sun - 11:45 AM (IST)
NEW ZEALAND91
SOUTH AFRICA93/3
South Africa won by 7 wickets
CRR:5.58
Player Of The Match
Match Info
| Series: | South Africa in New Zealand 2026 |
| Date: | Mar 15 2026, Sun - 11:45 AM (IST) |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| City: | Tauranga |
| Venue: | Bay Oval |
| Toss: | New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat. |
| New Zealand Playing XI: | Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wk), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears |
| South Africa Playing XI: | Jordan Hermann, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (c), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottniel Baartman |
- New Zealand have won four of their last five men’s T20Is against South Africa including a nine-wicket win in their last encounter at the semi final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this month; though, the Black Caps had won only one of their previous five meetings with South Africa in the format prior to their five most recent meetings.
- This will be the first meeting between New Zealand and South Africa in a men’s T20I in New Zealand since February 2017 when South Africa won by 78 runs at Eden Park in Auckland; in fact, South Africa hevw on each of their last three men’s T20Is against the Black Caps in New Zealand.
- New Zealand have won only one of their last four bilateral men’s T20I series (L1) and have won three of their last nine (D2 L4) and the last time they finished a series without a loss was in April 2023 when they hosted Sri Lanka (3-0).
- New Zealand have lost their last two men’s T20Is in a row at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui after winning four in a row at the venue prior; in fact, the Black Caps have won eight of their 10 games at the venue when batting first on the day but have won only one of their four games when batting second.
- South Africa’s last men’s T20I was a nine-wicket loss to New Zealand at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a loss which ended a five-game winning streak in the format for them; they’ll not look to avoid consecutive defeats in the format for the first time in 2026.
- South Africa have won only two of their last 14 bilateral men’s T20I series (min. 2 games) (D3 L10), including a 2-1 win against the West Indies in their most recent series; in fact, they’ll be looking to win back-to-back series for the first time since August 2022.
- South Africa have a 75% win rate in men’s T20Is in New Zealand, the highest of any team in the country in the format; in fact, in countries where they’ve played at least four times, only in the United Arab Emirates (82% of 11 games) do South Africa have a better win rate than they do in New Zealand.
- Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) has not taken a wicket in his last three consecutive T20 innings and a fourth wicketless innings would equal his longest stretch without one in the format (3 games in Vitality Blast 2021); though, he’s taken two wickets in each of his two innings against South Africa.
- Ben Sears took 10 wickets in his last four innings of the 2025/26 Super Smash season at an average of 11.8 and has taken at least one wicket in each of his last three T20 innings at Bay Oval (4 in total).
- Keshav Maharaj (South Africa) is set to play his 50th T20I and is just two away from his 50th wicket in the format; in fact, he’s won four of five matches as captain of South Africa in the format which is the best win rate of any player to captain them more than once.