Gerald Coetzee and Ottneil Baartman claimed the first four wickets to help South Africa bundle New Zealand out for just 91 before debutant Connor Esterhuizen steered them to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the first of five T20 Internationals at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Esterhuizen opened the innings and compiled a steady 45* from 48 deliveries to make sure of victory after the loss of three wickets on a pitch becoming increasingly awkward having stage the Women’s T20 earlier in the day which New Zealand won by 80-runs.
Tony de Zorzi (2) mistimed a pull and Rubin Hermann (7), having pulled Kyle Jamieson for a huge six, skied an attempted drive against the same bowler to ‘keeper Tom Latham. Jason Smith (10) was smartly stumped by Latham off Black Caps captain Mitch Santner.
Allrounder Dian Forrester was equally cautious treading gently to 16 from 25 balls with just one four to help Esterhuizen tip-toe over the finish line with 20 balls to spare.
The home side collapsed to 36-5 in the Power Play with none of the top four reaching double figures after Santner had won the toss and chosen to bat first.
Opener Devon Conway (1) was cramped for room and beaten for pace as he spliced a pull shot against Coetzee (3-0-14-2) to de Zorzi at midwicket while fellow opener Latham (7) was beaten by an inswinger and trapped lbw.
Tim Robinson (6) inside edged a hoik against Baartman (3-0-22-2) to mid on where George Linde held a fine catch diving forwards and debutant Nick Kelly (2) was comprehensively bowled by a nip-backer from Baartman.
Bevon Jacobs (10) drove Baartman for six over long on in a rare moment of defiance for New Zealand but then attempted a mad single to cover where the predatory Rubin Hermann pounced and ran him out by a metre with a pinpoint direct hit.
Santner struck two fours in a consolidatory 15 from 19 balls but charged at Keshav Maharaj, was beaten by the turn and clean bowled leaving the innings in tatters at 54-6.
It became even messier when Nqobani Mokoena (3.3-0-26-3) took two wickets in the 13th over to leave New Zealand on 83-8 with a full seven overs remaining. Jimmy Neesham’s top score of 26 from 21 balls (2x4, 1x6) ended when he edged a clever slower ball to ‘keeper Esterhuizen and Zak Foulkes (1) went the same way fending a full pace delivery to Esterhuizen.
Maharaj (4-0-25-2) collected his second wicket with a ‘slider’ which crashed into Jamieson’s off stump and Mokoena finished it off when Cole McConchie pulled a short ball to Rubin Hermann at long on.
The match took place just 10 days after the T20 World Cup semifinal in which the Black Caps dismantled the Proteas by nine-wickets but both teams looked very different with just Linde, Smith and captain Maharaj present from the World Cup squad.
All five matches in the series are being played as double-headers with the concurrent Women’s series with the second taking place in Hamilton on Tuesday.
NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wk), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears
SOUTH AFRICA: Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Jordan Hermann, Tony de Zorzi, 4 Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman