NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Live Score and Updates: New Zealand dominated the proceedings in the second innings thanks to a half-century opening stand between Devon Conway and Tom Latham. Stay tuned for NZ vs SA live score, live cricket score, NZ vs SA live cricket score, live score, NZ vs SA live match updates, key moments, and real-time coverage from this blockbuster NZ vs SA encounter here on NewsX.
Earlier, the hosts did not take a wrong step right from the point they won the toss. With the ball in hand, the Blackcaps were right on the money as they managed to restrict South Africa to another low score of 136. Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, James Neesham, and Cole McConchie were among the wickets.
Toss Update: New Zealand skipper, Mitchell Santner, won the toss and decided to bowl first against South Africa in the third T20I at Eden Park in Auckland.
After two games in New Zealand, the five-match T20I series between the Blackcaps and the Proteas is all square. South Africa exacted revenge for their loss in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the first game after bowling the Kiwis out for 91 runs. The hosts made a sensational comeback in the series in the second clash to square the series 1-1. Meanwhile, after two low-scoring games in the series, a run-fest could be on the cards as the action moves to Eden Park in Auckland.
New Zealand took the advantage early in the clash after picking up the first wicket in the second over. They did not take their foot off the pedal from that point onwards. The hosts managed to repeat their bowling efforts from the previous game as South Africa was bowled out for another low score. Kyle Jamieson, along with Mitchell Santner and Ben Sears, picked up a couple of wickets.
Devon Conway led the batting charts in the second game after New Zealand were bowled out for a shambolic total of 91 runs in the series opener. The left-handed batter was named the player of the series for his 60-run knock off 49 balls. His anchor knock allowed the likes of Nick Kelly, Mitchell Santner, Cole McConchie, and Josh Clarkson to play their game freely, helping the hosts put up a winning total. With the ball in hand, Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears picked up crucial three-fers in the second innings as the visitors were bowled out for a total of 107 runs.
South Africa got a taster of their own medicine in the second game as they were bowled out for only 107 runs. After impressing with the ball in the first game, the bowling attack from the Proteas appeared to be toothless in the next game. Skipper Keshav Maharaj and his spin partner, George Linde, were ineffective in the first innings. The two spinners bowled three overs each and gave away a combined total of 78 runs while picking up two wickets. The experienced Maharaj was the bigger disappointment as he gave away 45 in his three overs while accounting for Tom Latham’s wicket.
As the boundary dimension at Eden Park will be shorter, the South African bowling unit will have their task cut out as they attempt to make a comeback in the series. The visitors could drop Linde and bring pacer Andile Simelane in the playing XI.
Mitchell Santner (C), Devon Conway (wk), Tim Robinson, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Josh Clarkson, Bevon Jacobs, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie, Dane Cleaver, Nick Kelly, Ben Sears, Katene D Clarke, Jayden Lennox, Zakary Foulkes
Keshav Maharaj (C), Tony de Zorzi, Jason Smith, Jordan Hermann, George Linde, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Prenelan Subrayen, Dian Forrester, Gerald Coetzee, Ottneil Baartman, Lutho Sipamla, Rubin Hermann, Andile Simelane, Nqobani Mokoena
South Africa holds a massive lead when it comes to the head-to-head record between the two teams. The Proteas have won 13 of the 22 T20Is these teams have played against each other.
Tom Latham scored a crucial fifty leading New Zealand’s charge in the third T20I against South Africa. He reached his fourth half-century in 45 balls with a four.
South African skipper, Keshav Maharaj, gave the Proteas fans something to cheer about in this clash. The left-arm spinner picked up the first wicket, dismissing Devon Conway on the final ball of the 11th over.
New Zealand have put on a clinical performance in their pursuit of taking a lead in the five-match T20I series. The hosts after losing the opening game of the series are on the track to win two games in a row.
Tom Latham is racing towards a well-deserved half-century after being dropped in the seventh over. The wicketkeeper batter is only 11 runs away from reaching the milestone.
Dian Forrester dropped a forward diving catch to send Tom Latham back to the pavilion. Such has been the night for the Proteas that even half-chances are not going their way. To put salt into their wounds, Latham struck a six on the final ball of the eighth over as New Zealand continue to dominate this third T20I.
South Africa ended the power play like they started by conceding only a single in the sixth over.
A huge over for New Zealand as they go after Lutho Sipamla in the fifth over. Latham started the onslaught early in the over, before Devon Conway struck a six and a four to end the over.
Tom Latham continued his attack against Lutho Sipamla in the fifth over. The wicketkeeper batter for New Zealand struck a six and a four on the first two balls of the fifth over.
Like Coetzee, Mokoena, too, struggled with his line as he bowled another delivery down the leg side, allowing two runs off wides, before New Zealand earned four more from leg byes.
Nqobani Mokoena came into the attack in the fourth over and was welcomed with a four from Tom Latham. It was a length delivery which was scooped by the right-handed batter.
New Zealand were awarded with bonus runs as Gerald Coetzee sent one down the leg side to give away five runs off wides. He bowled another wide as seven runs came off the third over.
Devon Conway survived an early LBW appeal in the second over after hitting his first boundary of the clash.
Defending only 136 runs, South Africa managed to start positively in the second innings conceding only a single in the first over.
New Zealand has dominated the proceedings once again at home. For the second time in a row, the visitors have simply not managed to turn up with the bat in hand. After being bowled out for only 107 runs, the South African team managed to score only 136 runs in the third clash.
The only positive for South Africa from the innings would be that they batted out the whole 20 overs. Nqobani Mokoena, in spite of coming in to bat at number 10, managed to smash the most sixes for the Proteas.
South Africa’s number 10 and 11 are trying their best to put a price on their wicket. Nqobani Mokoena, the player of the match from the first game, has already struck a couple of sixes in his 13-ball stay.
South Africa continued to lose the plot in Auckland as the visitors lost their ninth wicket. Ben Sears picked up his second wicket, dismissing Keshav Maharaj in the 17th over.
One brings two as Kyle Jamieson gets his second wicket of the over, dismissing Gerald Coetzee. It was a slower delivery from the pacer which was edged behind by Coetzee to Tom Latham.
Kyle Jamieson got his first wicket to break a crucial eighth-wicket stand. The pacer dismissed George Linde on the second ball of the 15th over as South Africa lost their sevent wicket.
South Africa seems to have had a shift in gears despite losing six wickets early in the innings. The Proteas, after scoring 12 runs in the previous over, struck a couple of boundaries against Neesham in the 14th over.
Finally, some attack from South Africa as Gerald Coetzee decides to take on the short boundaries at Eden Park. The fast bowler struck Santner for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries in the 13th over.
The change of ends worked perfectly for Jimmy Neesham as he struck with his first his first ball of the second over. The medium pacer dismissed Dian Forrester before almost picking up a second wicket on the next ball.
Ben Sears replaced James Neesham in the attack as New Zealand aim to tighten their grip over the match. Having conceded 12 runs in the previous over, Sears was brought in to bring some control back in the innings. The right-arm pacer did exactly that as he gave away only six runs in the 11th over.
Having lost half their side, South Africa’s run rate has plummeted to the ground in the first 10 overs. In spite of a four and a six in the 10th over from Dian Forrester, South Africa are scoring at a rate of slightly more than six runs per over.
South Africa continues to struggle as they lose half their side in the eighth over of the innings. Cole McConchie dismissed Rubin Hermann on the final ball of his first over.
Mitchell Santner picked up his second wicket of the night, dismissing Jason Smith. The left-arm spinner has picked up Smith’s wicket for the third time.
The hosts are right on top of South Africa after the opening power play. The visitors have lost three batters inside six overs with Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, and Ben Sears with a wicket each against their names.
It is looking pretty gloomy for South Africa as they lose their third wicket in the power play itself. Ben Sears, bowling the sixth over of the clash after being hit for a four, bounced back strongly and dismissed Tony de Zorzi on the very next delivery.
It took Mitchell Santner only two balls to create an impact in the high-stakes encounter. The New Zealand skipper struck on his second ball of the spell dismissing Connor Esterhuizen. Esterhuizen had scored 15 runs in only eight balls and was looking dangerous on a batter-friendly track.
Connor Esterhuizen, the top scorer for South Africa in the first game of the series, has taken the attack to the hosts. Coming to the crease at the fall of the first wicket, the right-handed batter struck a six and a couple of fours to end the third over on a high.
Lockie Ferguson has created an impact in his first over itself. The experiment to open with Wiaan Mulder failed for South Africa as he was dismissed for a four-ball duck. De Zorzi, in search of a quick single, almost lost his wicket on the first ball of the over as well. His bat got stuck before making it into the crease and had the fielder at mid-off inflicted a direct hit he would have been dismissed.
Tony de Zorzi got off the mark in the first over with a scratchy boundary against Kyle Jamieson. It was an in-swinger which raced to the boundary after making contact with the inner half of the bat.
South Africa have continued their experiment to open the innings with Wiaan Mulder. The all-rounder has joined Tony de Zorzi in the middle.
South African batters make their way to the crease at Eden Park in what promises to be a run-fest clash.
Keshav Maharaj (C), Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla
Mitchell Santner (C), Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wk), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand won the toss and opted to field first at Eden Park.
With the third T20I being played at Eden Park, it is only natural that the two sides will remember their meeting at Eden Gardens in Kolkata hardly over a fortnight ago. New Zealand had crushed South Africa in the semi-final before losing to the hosts, India, at Narendra Modi Stadium in the final.
The Eden Park, like the Eden Gardens, features short boundaries and could be a run-fest when these two teams take the field in Auckland.
South Africa, having won 13 T20Is against New Zealand, holds a lead when it comes to the head-to-head record between the two sides. The hosts registered their ninth win over the Proteas in the second game of the series.
The New Zealand cricket board will hold a special tribute for former cricketer William Brook-Smith during the clash at Eden Park. Brook-Smith played his only international match for the Blackcaps in 1914. His family will be given a replacement test cap as a special tribute for the former Auckland-born batter.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the New Zealand vs South Africa 3rd T20I match all the way from Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand!
