South Africa is back in style to beat New Zealand 19 runs in the fourth T20I at the Sky Stadium. A half-century of riding Connor Esterhuizen and with a disciplined bowling effort, the visitors ended the five-match series 2-2 in a thrilling decider.
Connor Esterhuizen puts South Africa in a competitive overall
After electing to bat first, South Africa posted a competitive total of 164/5 in 20 overs. Despite an early setback with Wian Mulder set off for a duck, Tony de Zorzi He steadied the innings with a smooth 23 off 21 balls. The innings was anchored by Esterhuizen, who played a match-defining knock of 57 off 36 deliveries, hitting seven fours and three sixes.
Support was found by Esterhuizen Rubin HermannHe won the chip by 28 runs. Late contributions Diane Forrester (19), Jason Smith (19) and George Linde (14) ensured South Africa finished strongly, adding valuable runs in the death overs.
For New Zealand, Kyle Jamieson He picked up figures of 2/29, while Ben Sears was economical, conceding just 22 runs and picking up a wicket. However, James Neesham proved costly, conceding 49 runs, allowing South Africa to gain momentum in the middle and death overs.
South African bowlers seal the deal
Chasing 165, New Zealand started positively Tim Robinson Hitting 32 off 22 balls. Dane Cleaver He added 26 in 16 overs but the hosts failed to build a partnership as wickets fell regularly. Nick Kelly‘s 19 provided a short stability, but the middle order struggled to reach the required ratio. Low level contributions from Jamieson (13) and Cole McConchie (10) was not enough as New Zealand were bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs.
Delivered under pressure by South Africa’s bowling attack Gerald Coetzee leading the charge with three wickets. Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen and each took two goalkeepers Ottniel Baartman He also bagged two crucial scalps to thwart New Zealand’s chase. Esterhuizen was named Man of the Match for his outstanding shots that keyed the win. With the series now level at 2-2, the stage is perfectly set for an exciting fifth T20I.
Also READ: NZ vs SA T20I Series: Date, Match Time, Broadcast and Live Streaming details
An important win for the Proteas who leveled the series 2-2 💪#cricket #NZvsSA
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