South Africa collapse at Eden Park as New Zealand take 2-1 lead in T20I series
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Latham leads convincing Black Caps all-round performance in Auckland
Less than a month after their thrilling semi-final clash at the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, New Zealand and South Africa are now halfway through their T20I series, and it is the Black Caps that now hold the advantage after securing victory at Eden Gardens this morning.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the home side took full advantage of the new ball in Auckland, knocking over Wiaan Mulder (0), Connor Esterhuizen (15) and Tony de Zorzi (15) in quick succession to leave the Proteas at 41/3 at the end of the powerplay.
South Africa’s new-look team failed miserably with the bat in the middle overs, with only George Linde (23) surpassing the 20-run mark. Nqobani Mokoena played an impressive cameo late on, but could only get his side to a total of 139/9 in their 20-over allotment.
In contrast, New Zealand burst out the blocks in their innings, with the opening pair of Devon Conway and Tom Latham putting on a 96-run first wicket stand before the former was dismissed by Proteas’ captain Keshav Maharaj for 39 runs off 26 deliveries in 11th over.
Lathan went on to play a starring role for the side, finishing on 63* off 55 deliveries, while Tim Robinson added a run-a-ball 17 at number three. The Black Caps reached the target with 22 balls to spare, securing a commanding eight-wicket victory, and taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
NZ pacer Lockie Ferguson to miss opening Indian Premier League games
Lockie Ferguson was the standout performer with the ball for New Zealand in front of his home fans in Auckland on Friday, taking 2-9 in his four overs at just 2.25 runs per over. However, following the match, the NZ speedster confirmed that he is now set for a break from the field.
Ferguson took a short paternity leave during the T20 World Cup to spend time with his family before rejoining the squad in India. However, he has now revealed that the recent arrival of his newborn son has shifted his priorities off the field. Ferguson said:
“Just had a wee son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out. I'll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter.”
It is understood that Ferguson will miss the Punjab Kings' first seven games of the 2026 Indian Premier League. He only played four times for the Kings before sustaining a hamstring injury last season, but the Punjab outfit still managed to reach their first IPL final since 2014.
Among the possible replacements for the Kiwi speedster are Jason Behrendorff and Umesh Yadav. Both players have sufficient IPL experience, with Behrendorff taking 19 wickets in 17 matches, while Yadav has featured in 148 matches in the tournament, racking up 144 wickets.
