New Zealand vs South Africa Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Aiden Markram’s captain’s knock leads South Africa to 7-wicket win

Marco Jansen to Matt Henry, A yorker, across off, Henry digs it out in front of cover and crosses over.

How many more can the Kiwis add in the last two overs? They surely would want a total in excess of 180, given the dew factor and the greasy outfield. Marco Jansen (3-0-30-4) will bowl the penultimate over.

Kagiso Rabada to Matt Henry, Fine effort in the field! Fuller and on off, Henry goes hard at it and it is sliced to point where David Miller dives to his right and saves a certain boundary. Just a single.

Kagiso Rabada to Matt Henry, A bit shorter this time, on off, Henry knocks it from the crease to cover.

Kagiso Rabada to Matt Henry, On top of off, Matt gets on top of it and mistimes it to cover.

Kagiso Rabada to Matt Henry, FOUR! Streaky, but they all count! First boundary in 25 balls for New Zealand. Rabada hurls it on a back of a length, outside off. Henry pushes at it with hard hands and a high elbow. Gets an outside edge that races to deep third for a four.

Kagiso Rabada to James Neesham, Pace off, on a good length, on middle, Neesham taps it in front of point and gets to the other end. 150 comes up for New Zealand!

7/2 in the last two overs for New Zealand. Into the death overs we go. Here's Kagiso Rabada (3-0-19-0) back into the attack.

Kagiso Rabada to James Neesham, On a length, outside off, Neesham stands tall and drives it on the up through extra cover for a couple of runs.

Corbin Bosch to James Neesham, Angling away, on a back of a length, on off, Neesham angles it behind point and keeps the strike with a single.

Corbin Bosch to Matt Henry, On middle and leg, on a back of a length. Henry drops it beside the strip on the leg side and crosses over.

Corbin Bosch to Mitchell Santner, OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! South Africa land another vital blow. With deep extra cover and deep backward point in place, Bosch keeps it full, outside off. Santner gives himself a bit of room to carve it on the off side by opening the bat face. He only gets the height and it goes towards deep point, where Ryan Rickelton sprints to his left from deep backward point and takes the catch before dropping on his knees. New Zealand have slipped to 145/7 from 138/4. Matt Henry is the new batter.

Corbin Bosch to Mitchell Santner, A flash and a miss! Mitchell Santner is crossed with himself. On the shorter side, wide on off. Santner throws the kitchen sink at it, but connects with thin air.

Corbin Bosch to James Neesham, Pitched up, on middle, Neesham firms the drive back towards the bowler. Bosch gets a hand on it and it is parried behind. Single taken.

Corbin Bosch (2-0-20-0) is back on, replacing Keshav Maharaj.

Corbin Bosch to Mitchell Santner, Going across off, on a back of a length, Santner knocks it off the back foot to extra cover. They cross. Aiden Markram slides to mop it up and as he slides, it is visible how wet the outfield is. 

Lungi Ngidi to Mitchell Santner, Hits the hard length, does Ngidi, on off. Santner pushes it in front of mid off and scampers through for a quick single. A wicket and just 3 runs off the over. 5 runs and 2 wickets in the last 13 balls.

Lungi Ngidi to James Neesham, On top of off, on a back of a length, James stays leg side and pats it to deep point for one.

Lungi Ngidi to James Neesham, Lands it on a good length, on off. Neesham taps it back on the strip.

Out goes Mitchell and the crease has a new occupant. James Neesham is in at 8.

Lungi Ngidi to Daryl Mitchell, OUT! CAUGHT! Daryl Mitchell holes out. This was coming. South Africa had managed to string dots after picking up the wicket of Mark Chapman, and the pressure has told. Angled into the right-hander, on the fuller side, on middle. Mitchell clears the front leg to pump it down the ground. The bat turns in his hand and the ball goes flat off the inner half of the bat, down to long on, where Tristan Stubbs takes a safe catch around his chest. Mitchell berates himself as he trudges off. Both set batters fall in quick succession for New Zealand.

Lungi Ngidi to Mitchell Santner, Into the surface again, on off, Mitchell hops and gets on top of the bounce. He punches it to backward point, where David Miller dives and makes a half-stop. Just a single.

Lungi Ngidi to Mitchell Santner, Beaten! Across off, on a hard length. Santner fiddles with it, but the ball zips past the outside edge.

A tidy over from Keshav Maharaj. 5 overs left in the innings. Lungi Ngidi returns to bowl out. 3-0-31-0 are his bowling figures so far.

Keshav Maharaj to Daryl Mitchell, Slows it up through the air, on that in-between length. Daryl Mitchell presses back and dabs it with soft hands to the bowler. What an excellent over from Maharaj. Just a couple of singles from it.

Keshav Maharaj to Mitchell Santner, Outside leg, on a length, Mitchell Santner turns it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Keshav Maharaj to Mitchell Santner, Quicker and flatter, on the stumps, Mitchell Santner punches off the back foot to Markram at extra cover.

Keshav Maharaj to Mitchell Santner, In front of the sticks, on a length, Mitchell Santner rocks back and eases it back to Maharaj.

Keshav Maharaj to Mitchell Santner, Quicker delivery, short and on off, Santner backs away and punches it straight onto the stumps at the bowling end.

Keshav Maharaj to Daryl Mitchell, Pushed full and on middle, Daryl Mitchell leans on and flicks it through the vacant mid-wicket region for a single.

DRINKS BREAK! A timely breakthrough for South Africa. They were put under pressure by the flourishing stand between Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman, but they will hope to build on this crucial scalp. New Zealand have done well to maintain the tempo of their innings despite that slide in the middle phase. They will know they need to keep pushing to get up to the 200 mark and beyond, because defending won't be easy with the possibility of dew later on. The Kiwi skipper, Mitchell Santner, walks out to bat.

Marco Jansen to Mark Chapman, OUT! CAUGHT! The change of pace works again for Marco as he has his fourth wicket. On a slightly fuller length, around the off stump line, with pace taken off by Jansen. Mark Chapman wanders forward and tries to flick that across the line, but closes the bat face very early and a thick leading edge is found. The ball swirls towards backward point where Ryan Rickelton seems to have lost the ball in the ring of fire for a moment, but keeps his calm and takes a good catch. Chapman falls two short of his half century and the 74-run partnership is cut short. 3-0-30-4 for Marco, these are Jansen's best bowling figures in T20Is.

Marco Jansen to Daryl Mitchell, Another pace off, on a length, on off, Daryl Mitchell punches it between cover and point and they rush through for a single.

Marco Jansen to Mark Chapman, Slower length ball, around off, Chapman slices it off the back foot and hits it on the bounce to long off for a single.

Marco Jansen to Mark Chapman, Confusion but no harm done! A pinpoint yorker by Jansen, on the leg stump line, Mark Chapman jams the bat down, and the ball goes off the inside edge to short fine leg. Chapman is off for a single and is sent from halfway by Mitchell. The short fine leg fielder releases a flat throw to the batting end, but misses his shy, allowing Mark to get back in. The Proteas, however, have gone upstairs for a review for LBW. The replay confirms a clear deflection off the inside edge. But had the throw hit, Chapman was gone for all money.

Marco Jansen to Mark Chapman, FOUR! That's a glorious shot! Hits the length hard, and takes pace off. It skids on around off, Mark plays from the crease and steers it between the cover and backward point gap for a boundary.

Marco Jansen to Daryl Mitchell, Very slow, around off, Daryl Mitchell takes it on the full and eases it through mid off for a quick single.

Kagiso Rabada to Mark Chapman, A slower dipping yorker on leg, Chapman digs it out to mid-wicket. Another over that goes in double digits for the Kiwis.

Kagiso Rabada to Mark Chapman, FOUR! Chapman races to 40 off 21! On a fuller length, on middle, Mark creates some room by moving leg side and thumps it over the bowler's head for a cracking boundary down the ground.

Kagiso Rabada to Mark Chapman, FOUR! Thwack! Slower short ball into the pitch, on over middle and leg, Mark Chapman reads the pace off, waits on it and pulls it behind square on the leg side, and finds the gap.

Kagiso Rabada to Daryl Mitchell, Nails the yorker in, on middle, Daryl jams it down past the bowler for a single.

Kagiso Rabada to Mark Chapman, Rolls his fingers and bowls an off cutter, into the pitch, over off. Mark Chapman flays at it, and the ball pops off the outside edge towards deep third for a single.

Kagiso Rabada to Mark Chapman, Attacks the stumps, on a fuller length, Mark plays from the crease and chops it to the point region.

Aiden Markram to Mark Chapman, Flat and quick, a tad short, around off, Mark Chapman is quick to back away and cuts it to deep point for a single. A very profitable over for New Zealand. 15 runs from it. 

Aiden Markram to Mark Chapman, SIX! INTO THE STANDS! Another half volley by Aiden, in front of the middle pole. Mark Chapman needs no second invitation as he advances and muscles it behind deep mid-wicket for a big six.

Aiden Markram to Daryl Mitchell, Overpitched, full, on off, Daryl Mitchell walks forward and drills it to long on for a single. The 50-run partnership comes up between Mitchell and Chapman.

A brief hold-up as the players wait for the crowd to return the ball.

Aiden Markram to Daryl Mitchell, SIX! LAUNCHED! A juicy half volley, on middle, Daryl Mitchell plays with a straight bat and pumps it over long on for a cracking six. Clean as a whistle. Mitchell moves to 27 off 17 balls.

Aiden Markram to Mark Chapman, Flat off break, on a length, around off, Mark Chapman chop-cuts it to deep point for a single.

Aiden Markram to Mark Chapman, Overpitched, full and drifting on leg, Mark Chapman shovels it back at the bowler.