Devon Conway top-scored for New Zealand with a far from fluent 60 from 49 balls but it proved to be a match-winning innings as South Africa crashed to 107 all out to lose the second of five T20 Internationals against South Africa by 68-runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday.
Conway’s scratchy innings on a slow and awkward pitch laid the platform for a total of 175-6 and the Proteas were never in the game as George Linde (33 from 12 balls) was the only batsman to reach 20. Seamer Ben Sears led a disciplined attack with 3-14 from three overs.
Left-handed opener, Conway, played and missed at over a dozen deliveries and mistimed the ball often but he kept his composure in the knowledge that batting would be even trickier in the second innings.
The hosts reached a scratchy 43-0 in the Power Play before Tom Latham (11) reverse swept Keshav Maharaj to backward point in the seventh over and Tim Robinson (1) also fell to the turn and bounce of fellow left armer George Linde.
Conway did manage five fours and a couple of slog-swept sixes before edging a slower ball from Wiaan Mulder (2-0-14-2) to ‘keeper Connor Esterhuizen and Nick Kelly (21) was bowled by another slow off-cutter from Mulder.
Captain Mitchell Santner (20 from 14 balls) attempted to accelerate the pedestrian tempo before a beauty from Ottneil Baartman (1-31) clipped the top of middle stump between bat and pad but Jimmy Neesham’s struggle to eight from 11 balls ended when a chased a wide ball from Gerald Coetzee (4-0-28-1) to Esterhuizen.
A total closer to 150 seemed likely before allrounder Josh Clarkson changed the entire complexion of the innings with a blistering knock of 26* from nine balls with a pair of fours and sixes which included 24 from the final over of the innings bowled by Maharaj who ended with a bruising 1-45 from just three overs.
The Proteas run-chase was a calamity of mistiming and frustration starting with openers Wiaan Mulder (16) and Esterhuizen (8) both cutting the ball to cover fielders.
Tony de Zorzi (1) and Jason Smith (12) top-edged sweeps while Rubin Hermann slashed Neesham to Lockie Ferguson on the cover boundary and Dian Forrester was caught by the same fielder toe-ending a pull to deep square leg.
The game was all-but over at 89-6 in the 13th over but Ferguson (3.3-1-16-3) made certain by dismissing Maharaj and Nqobani Mokoena for golden ducks with successive deliveries.
The series is tied 1-1 following South Africa’s seven-wicket victory in the first match in Mount Maunganui during which they dismissed the hosts for just 91. The third game takes place at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.
NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wkt), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Mitch Santner (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Cole McConchie, Josh Clarkson, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson.
SOUTH AFRICA: Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wkt), Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman