NZ vs SA 5th T20 Highlights: New Zealand Defeat South Africa to Reach Final

Shubham Sangale·22 July 2025 at 10:45 pm IST

NZ vs SA 5th T20 Highlights: New Zealand continued their strong form in the tri-series being played in Harare, defeating South Africa by seven wickets in the fifth T20 match. Thanks to the brilliant bowling performance followed by Tim Seifert’s powerful batting, New Zealand chased down the target of 135 in just 15.5 overs. With this win, the Kiwis have almost booked their place in the final of the tri-nation series.

South Africa batted first after losing the toss and were restricted to 134/8 in 20 overs. New Zealand reached the target with ease, losing just three wickets.

NZ vs SA 5th T20 Highlights: Kiwi Bowlers Keep South Africa in Check

New Zealand’s bowlers were spot on from the beginning. Adam Milne struck early by bowling Rassie van der Dussen for 14. South Africa kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Chapman ran out Ruben Harman for 10, and Dewald Brevis could only score 13.

Captain Mitchell Santner played a key role with the ball, dismissing Luhan de Pretorius and Andile Simelane, who made 11. The only South African batter who looked comfortable was Reeza Hendricks, who scored 41 off 37 balls before getting out to Jacob Duffy. George Linde added a valuable 23 not out, but South Africa’s total remained below par.

Seifert Leads Chase with Unbeaten Fifty

Chasing 135, New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Tim Seifert gave the team a strong start, adding 51 runs for the first wicket. Conway was dismissed for 19 by Simelane, and Rachin Ravindra followed soon after for just 3 runs. Mark Chapman also fell cheaply for 10.

However, Seifert remained firm at the other end and continued scoring quickly. He got good support from Daryl Mitchell, and together they shared another 51-run stand. Seifert remained unbeaten on 66 off 48 balls, hitting 6 fours and 2 sixes, while Mitchell scored 20 not out off 15 balls.

Final Likely Between New Zealand and South Africa

This was New Zealand’s second win over South Africa in the tri-series. The third team, Zimbabwe, is yet to win a match. South Africa has defeated Zimbabwe twice. Therefore, the final of the series is expected to be between New Zealand and South Africa.