🇳🇿 New Zealand Crush South Africa by 7 Wickets in 5th T20I – Seifert Stars in Harare!

Aditya Srivastava July 22, 2025

 


Date: July 22, 2025
Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
Match: 5th T20I – Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series 2025
Result: New Zealand won by 7 wickets
Player of the Match: Tim Seifert (66* off 48)

🔥 Match Summary:

In a dominant display of all-round cricket, New Zealand defeated South Africa by 7 wickets with 4.1 overs to spare in the 5th T20I of the Zimbabwe Tri-series. Tim Seifert’s resilient unbeaten 66 off 48 balls guided the Kiwis comfortably past the modest target of 135.

🏏 First Innings – South Africa Struggles to 134/8

Mitchell Santner won the toss and elected to bowl first — and the decision paid off. South Africa lost wickets early and often, failing to build any meaningful partnerships.

  • Top Scorers:

    1. Reeza Hendricks – 41 (37)

    2. George Linde – 23* (15)

  • New Zealand Bowlers:

    1. Adam Milne – 2/21

    2. Mitchell Santner – 2/24

    3. Jacob Duffy – 2/28

Despite late resistance from George Linde, the Proteas could only muster 134/8 in 20 overs, well below par on this surface.

🏏 Second Innings – Seifert Anchors the Chase

Chasing 135, New Zealand began aggressively with Devon Conway and Tim Seifert stitching a rapid 51-run stand. Even though they lost a couple of wickets in the middle, Seifert held firm, switching gears post-powerplay to ensure a smooth finish.

  • Top Scorers:

    1. Tim Seifert – 66* (48) 🌟

    2. Daryl Mitchell – 20* (17)

    3. Devon Conway – 25 (15)

  • Best South African Bowler:

    1. Senuran Muthusamy – 2/24 (4 overs)

New Zealand crossed the line in 15.5 overs, finishing on 135/3.

🎙️ Post-Match Reactions:

🧢 Mitchell Santner (NZ Captain):

"We bowled brilliantly in the powerplay. On slow and spin-friendly tracks like this, our bowlers hit the right lengths. Happy with the win and looking forward to the final."

🧢 Rassie van der Dussen (SA Captain):

"We didn’t execute with the bat. Experimenting with the batting order, but we need to be sharper. Muthusamy was again brilliant. We'll regroup before the final."

🏆 Player of the Match – Tim Seifert:

"Nice to contribute. It wasn’t the easiest pitch to bat on. Staying patient and rotating strike was key."

📊 Scorecard Snapshot:

South Africa – 134/8 (20 Overs)

  1. Reeza Hendricks – 41 (37)

  2. George Linde – 23* (15)

  3. Adam Milne – 2/21

  4. Mitchell Santner – 2/24

New Zealand – 135/3 (15.5 Overs)

  1. Tim Seifert – 66* (48)

  2. Devon Conway – 25 (15)

  3. Daryl Mitchell – 20* (17)

  4. Senuran Muthusamy – 2/24

🔮 What’s Next?

New Zealand now heads into their final group stage game against Zimbabwe on Thursday, July 24 at 11 AM GMT. This will be a final dress rehearsal before the Tri-series Final, where they’re likely to meet South Africa again.

📌 Key Takeaways:

  1. New Zealand gains a psychological edge over South Africa ahead of the final.

  2. Tim Seifert’s form is a massive plus heading into crunch matches.

  3. South Africa needs to fix its top-order woes and lock down a stable batting lineup.

Stay tuned for more updates, match analysis, and highlights right here!

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