New Zealand National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team are two of the premier teams in cricket, boasting an illustrious history filled with memorable matches and tournaments like World Cups. Both have made history over time by sharing many unforgettable memories — not to mention bragging rights!
Kiwis took advantage of a rain-shortened match and enjoyed an exciting win, led by centuries from Rachin and Williamson and excellent death bowling from Colin de Grandhomme and Dwaine Pretorius.
| Date | Format | Venue | Result | Margin | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2025 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | New Zealand won | 3 runs | Matt Henry |
| 22 Jul 2025 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | New Zealand won | 7 wickets | Matt Henry |
| 16 Jul 2025 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | New Zealand won | 21 runs | Matt Henry |
| 14 Jul 2025 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | South Africa won | 5 wickets | Not specified |
| 20 Oct 2024 | T20I | Dubai International Stadium | New Zealand won | 32 runs | Amelia Kerr |
New Zealand vs South Africa
New Zealand and South Africa’s longstanding cricket rivalry has produced memorable moments, historic matches and, let’s be honest, its share of heartbreaks.
Over the course of many formats of play – Tests, ODIs and T20Is – both teams have come up against one another time after time; whether an intense five-day Test or nail-biting last ball T20I, each encounter has the power to draw fans from around the globe together in excitement and suspense.
First encounter between these sides occurred in 1931-1932 for a two-match Test series held in New Zealand.
The Proteas won by an innings and 12 runs but were held to a draw in match two, providing an insight into their strength and dominance over Black Caps.
South Africa and New Zealand participated in 17 Test matches over this time, with South Africa winning eight and losing nine of those contests.
South Africa were able to dominate New Zealand with regards to this format, however New Zealand eventually rallied through some powerful individual performances by their side.
In ODIs, both teams were evenly matched; often times the pitch and weather conditions would decide who would prevail; ultimately though, South Africans took advantage of these factors to their advantage and won more games than New Zealand counterparts.
Both teams have much to look forward to in the T20I series, especially its future competitions. Both will use it as an opportunity to improve their skills and showcase their abilities.
South Africa won the inaugural T20I between these teams back in 2005 by five wickets, in an evenly-matched encounter.
Both sides are evenly-matched here with each team possessing its own set of strengths and weaknesses in this format; players have ample opportunity to showcase their best cricket in this fast-paced format which provides them with ample playing opportunities; teams must work hard if they hope to succeed against some of the finest young cricket players from both teams; it promises an exciting rivalry that should not disappoint!
History
New Zealand cricket team is well known for punching above its weight and being resourceful despite being one of the least populous Test-playing nations.
Their achievements include winning the inaugural World Test Championship and the ICC KnockOut Trophy titles; reaching three World Cup finals (2015, 2019, 2021); as well as breaking their own calendar year record for most ODI wins in one calendar year.
In the 1980s, several great players emerged such as Martin Crowe, Brendon McCullum, Lance Cairns and Jeremy Coney; each capable of producing match-winning performances.
Cairns became famous after hitting six sixes at Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia during one of the greatest One Day Internationals ever played; two years later he joined an exclusive club of batsmen by amassing over 10,000 test runs, earning himself Wisden Cricketer of the Year honors later on.
New Zealand enjoyed success in limited-overs cricket during the 1980s. They won an ICC Tri-Series against Ireland and Bangladesh as preparation for England’s Champions Trophy, but unfortunately lost both their ODI and T20I series against Bangladesh – their worst result at any ICC event to date.
South Africa found some success during the 1990s in both one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 internationals (T20Is), reaching the semi-final of both 1996 World Cup and 1999 World Cup tournaments.
But teams consisting of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis and Hansie Cronje underperformed significantly at both tournaments; earning them a reputation for “choking”.
New Zealand won the 2024 ICC World Twenty20 tournament by defeating India in an emphatic final, as well as becoming the first team ever to whitewash Pakistan in a Test series.
Furthermore, they reached the final of 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, winning six games before losing three in order to reach last four and finally become champions – an outstanding feat and truly deserving winner; along the way Kane Williamson became youngest captain ever to win major tournament in all formats.
Schedule
New Zealand and South African fans can access live streaming of this match, featuring both sides’ teams. South Africa enter the match after defeating Zimbabwe in their inaugural T20I tri-series game while New Zealand are hoping to improve upon previous performances with Mitchell Santner making his return.
The New Zealand national cricket team, commonly referred to as the Black Caps (Mori: Potae Pango), represents New Zealand at international limited-overs cricket matches, representing them internationally against opposition from around the globe. Based out of Auckland with home matches played at Eden Park. Their coach is former South African fast bowler Rob Walter.
New Zealand first made their Test debut in 1930, becoming only the fifth nation to do so. Their inaugural victory came 26 years later against Pakistan at Eden Park in Christchurch.
New Zealand was widely considered one of the premier sides in all forms of cricket by the 1980s. They boasted several accomplished batsmen like Martin Crowe, John F Reid and Jeremy Coney as well as great all-rounders Richard Hadlee and Lance Cairns.
During this period they also won the inaugural ICC KnockOut Trophy against Zimbabwe to claim victory and claim the trophy. Since then they have made various ODI semi-final appearances but have yet to secure victory at a World Cup tournament.
New Zealand achieved success in one-day international cricket throughout the 90s, winning several series and finishing second at 1999 Cricket World Cup. They even claimed their inaugural ICC Champions Trophy victory that year!
Australia, India and South Africa all suffered significant defeats this decade against Pakistan cricket teams; yet their first-class squad managed to overcome these odds and claim several series victories early on, such as beating India three times before beating them again four times this year in one-day international series play-off matches against one another – including an unprecedented four wins against Proteas this year alone! They finished 2015 season strong by outwitting Pakistan 3 times against them as well.
Kane Williamson took the reins as captain of the Black Caps in 2016, revitalizing their fortunes in white ball cricket and reaching the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup for the first time, only to lose against England.
Live Streaming
If you can’t attend the New Zealand vs South Africa match live, you can still follow it by streaming it online. The match will be streamed live via Cricket South Africa YouTube channel which can be accessed from anywhere around the world; Willow TV offers it in the US; monthly subscription is $25 while an annual plan costs $80.
Those living in Canada may prefer TSN Plus’ exclusive Rugby Championship 2025 rights which allow access from outside Canada via VPN services or even directly.
South Africa captain Rassie van der Dussen won the coin toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in the Tri-Series final at Harare Sports Club.
The Proteas got off to an encouraging start, with openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Rubin Hermann making meaningful contributions; however, their middle order struggled with keeping pace with run rate, losing wickets at regular intervals. Dewald Brevis did his best but ultimately fell three runs short in their chase attempt.
New Zealand have had an outstanding tournament so far and are the clear favorites to win this matchup. So far they have won all four games with an NRR rating of 2.200 while Zimbabwe have only managed two victories with an NRR of -0.012.
The Twenty20I will take place at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and fans can purchase tickets either online or at the box office. Play will commence at 4:30 PM IST; live coverage can be seen via FanCode app and website in India with both Hindi and English commentary available during its live telecast.
New Zealand and South Africa will face each other in an intense T20 Tri-Series final matchup that promises to be both exciting and competitive. New Zealand have been dominant so far, so this game will serve as an important test for Proteas cricketers.
