न्यूजीलैंड vs दक्षिण अफ्रीका, पहला टी20, बे ओवल, माउंट मैंगनुई, 15 March 2026 - कमेंट्री

Hard length, around off, Dian Forrester guides this through point for one.

NO BALL! Kyle Jamieson goes for a yorker but the ball slips out of his hands and turns into an above-the-waist beamer. Connor Esterhuizen sways away quickly. Free Hit coming up.

On a length, around middle and off, Connor Esterhuizen swings at it but fails to get right underneath it. Hits this high and to the left of the fielder at long on. Bevon Jacobs tries to move swiftly to his left and catch this before throwing it back, but he slips and then his knee gets stuck in the turf. Two runs taken.

Good length, around off, Connor Esterhuizen punches this through the point gap for a couple. 5 more needed for South Africa.

SIX! That's a wrap. South Africa win this game by 7 wickets. Short and on off, Connor Esterhuizen stays deep inside the crease and pulls this over the fence towards the deep square leg region for a huge six to seal the game. 

Good length, on off, Connor Esterhuizen pushes this to the left of mid-wicket and takes one. The fielder did put in a dive but he couldn't field the ball and that allowed the single to be taken. A clean pick-up could have found Connor in trouble.

Good length, on middle and off, Dian Forrester punches this to mid off for no run.

Back of a length around off, Dian Forrester plays this late and guides this to the right of backward point.

 FOUR! Driven away in the gap for four runs. Pitched up, around off, Dian Forrester leans onto the pitch of the ball and drives this through the covers region for a boundary. Just 13 needed now for SA to win this. 

WIDE! Bumper, a bit too high. Wided.

Short and on off, Dian Forrester cuts this to deep point for a single.

Full and way wide outside off, Connor Esterhuizen goes after it with an attempted drive but gets beaten.

Turning away, on a length, Dian Forrester guides it to point.

Full and angled in, on middle. Dian drives it to long off for a single.

On a length, around leg. Connor flicks but can't get it past the man at backward square leg.

More frustration for Esterhuizen. Tossed up, on middle. Connor jumps out of the crease and drills it down the ground but Mitchell Santner makes the stop at mid off by going low to his left.

Flat and short, on off, this is punched off the back foot to long on for one.

This is fuller, on off, Dian checks his drive to cover.

DROPPED! The short leg comes into play but Tim Robinson puts it down. Short and on middle and leg, Dian Forrester hangs back to deal with it and ends up nudging it straight to short leg. It goes at knee height to Robinson, who tries to take the catch around his right knee but fails to cling on.

Taken at slip! The finger stays down. After a word with the men behind the bat, Mitchell Santner takes the review. Flat and short, on middle. Forrester pushes out in front of his body with a straight bat. The ball sneaks past the inside edge and goes off the pads to slip, where it is taken by James Neesham. The UltraEdge confirms no bat and the ball actually brushed the front pad first before going off the back thigh towards slip. The LBW is also checked but the Ball Tracking has the ball going over the stumps.

Floated up, full and on midddle. Dian Forrester attempts the reverse but does not quite get hold of it. James Neesham anticipates well as he moves early to his left at first slip and cuts it off with a tumble.

Full and quick, pitching outside the line of the leg stump from around the wicket. Dian Forrester goes for the reverse but is beaten and gets hit on the crouched thigh.

Uppish but safe! From over the wicket, slightly short, on middle. This spins back in and Dian Forrester checks his shot. He plays it uppishly but away from the man at mid-wicket to his right. They cross.

Full and drifting in, on middle. Connor Esterhuizen lunges and defends it out. End of a superb spell from the Kiwi skipper, 4-0-8-1.

Low full toss, on middle, driven to long off for a single.

Full and on middle, Connor gets forward to defend. The ball goes off an inside edge behind square leg for a run.

Flighted delivery, full and outside off. Dian eases it wide of cover and picks up a single.

Shorter and turning down leg. Esterhuizen clips it through square leg and takes a single.

This is dropped short, outside off. Dian Forrester cuts it wide of deep point. Tim Robinson moves to his right and gets rid of the ball quickly, keeping the batters down to a single.

A bit more air given this time, full and wide on off. Esterhuizen gets low and reaches out. He cracks the drive to the right of deep cover for a couple of runs. South Africa need 21 more runs.

With a slip and a short lef in place, Mitchell Santner hangs it up there, full and on off. Dian knocks it down to long on for one.

This comes in with the arm, short and on the off stump. Esterhuizen presses back to defend.

Lovely stuff! Santner loops it up and gets the ball to drop on the batter. Connor reaches out in front to defend but fails to smother the spin. The ball lands and rips past the outside edge.

Shorter and pushed through, outside the leg stump. Connor rocks back to punch it away on the off side but gets an inside edge towards short fine leg.

Stumping chance missed! Tossed up by Connor Esterhuizen extends his hands out in front but the ball drops on him to spin away sharply. His back leg gets dragged out but Tom Latham fails to gather the ball cleanly and only grabs hold of the ball on the second attempt.

Short and fired in, on middle. Connor Esterhuizen punches it off the back foot back to the bowler.

Looped up, full and on off. Connor Esterhuizen whips it to wide long on for a single.

Short and a hint of away turn, on off. Dian punches it to cover from the crease.

This is fuller and quicker too, on middle. Forrester eases it to long off and turns the strike over.

Across off, on a good length,  Esterhuizen punches it wide of cover and gets to the other end.

Low full toss, drifting onto the pads, Forrester smears it wide of deep mid-wicket for another single.

Slows it down and offers flight, full and outside off. Esterhuizen slices it behind point. It is hunted down with a sprint by the fielder in the deep. A couple of runs more for Connor.

 OUT! SMITH IS STUMPED! Mitchell Santner drifts one in and turns it away after landing around the off-pole. Jason Smith failed to read him in the first over and the struggles continued in the second over. Smith lunges but gets beaten on the outside edge and the ball is gathered fairly behind the stumps by Tom Latham, who breaks the stumps with the back foot of Smith on the line. The replay shows that no part of Smith's foot was behind the crease, and the line belongs to the umpire. OUT flashes on the giant screen.

Full and around middle and off, Dian Forrester brings out the reverse sweep on the first ball and gets this away through point for two.

A touch quicker, on middle and off, Dian Forrester blocks this out.

Tossed up, around off, Dian Forrester pushes this to the right of the bowler.

Almost the second wicket of the over for Mitchell Santner. Under-cutter, on off, Dian Forrester looks to block, but the ball spins back into the batter, gets an inside edge that goes onto the pads and lands in front of the keeper.

Quicker one, around off, Dian Forrester pokes at it but gets beaten.

Pushed through around off, Smith dances down the track and smashes this to long off for a run.

 FOUR! Innovative from Connor. Tossed up, around off, Connor Esterhuizen brings out the reverse sweep and hits this along the ground and away to the right of the diving point fielder for four runs. 

Quicker one, onto the pads, Connor Esterhuizen flicks this through backward square leg for a single. 

Full and on middle and off, Jason Smith pushes this back to the bowler.

Tossed up, around the pads, Jason Smith flicks this through the mid-wicket region and runs a couple this time. 

Short of a length, on middle and leg, Jason pulls this to deep square leg and takes a single. 

Slower one, around middle and off, Connor Esterhuizen flicks this through square leg for a run.

On a length, wide of off, Jason Smith punches this behind square on off for a single. 

Good length, on off, Connor Esterhuizen blocks this back to the bowler.

On a length around off, Connor Esterhuizen looks for a dab and run but hits this straight to backward point.

Bumper, around leg. Connor Esterhuizen goes for a hook but misses out.

Wide yorker, around off. Connor Esterhuizen punches this to mid off.

A tossed up delivery, around off, turning away from the batter. Jason Smith looks to push at it but gets beaten.

Floated into the batter, around middle and off. Jason Smith defends this around silly point.

 FOUR! This looked deliberate from Smith. Pushed through around off, Jason Smith takes a good stride out in front and opens his bat face. Gets this away to the right of the fielder at first slip, James Neesham, and the ball races away to the fence for four. 

Fired around the pads of the batter. Jason Smith backs away and looks to flick it away but gets beaten.

Pushed through on the pads, Jason Smith blocks this around mid-wicket.

Quicker one, on middle and leg, Jason Smith rolls this to mid on for no run.

Good length, on top of off, Connor Esterhuizen defends this off his back foot.

Back of a length, around off, Connor Esterhuizen gets up on his toes and punches this straight to covers.

FOUR BYES! Slower one, bowled short and down the leg side. Connor Esterhuizen looks to flick but misses and the ball goes just past his front foot. Tom Latham, donning the gloves for the Kiwis, dives to his left and tries to gather this but fails as well and the ball races to the fence for four. 

 SIX! Flicked onto the roof of the stand towards the deep backward square leg region. Pitched up, around the pads, Connor Esterhuizen leans a shade inside the line, picks it up with a flick and deposits this onto the roof towards the deep backward square leg region for a huge six. 

LEG BYE! Full and drifting down the leg. Connor Esterhuizen misses out on a flick this time and the ball deflects off his pads to square leg for a leg bye. 

Pitched up, on off, Jason Smith presses in front and punches this to mid off for a single. 

Hits the bat hard, does Jamieson. Angled in on a back of a length, on middle and leg. Esterhuizen blocks it down from the crease.

Keeps it nice and tight, on a short of a length, on middle. Connor turns it off the back foot to mid-wicket.

Wide! A short ball by Kyle Jamieson, over middle. Connor Esterhuizen drops his wrists and ducks under it. Wide given for height.

On the shorter side, on middle. Connor hops and taps it with a straight bat in front of mid on for a quick single.

SIX! That has gone back many a mile! Fractionally short at the body line of the batter. Rubin Hermann is quick to pick up the length and plays the pull off the front foot. Sends it way over the deep backward square leg fence for a biggie.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Kyle Jamieson fights back. An excellent grab by Tom Latham. Jamieson bowls it full, in line with the off stump. Hermann gives himself room to go big on the off side. He hangs low to get under the ball but he goes through the shot early. Skies it way up towards point. The keeper, Latham, moves across to his left and calls others out of the way. The ball is swerving in the air but Latham keeps his eyes on the ball all the way through and at the last second, he dives forward to take the catch.

A slight mix-up but no harm done! On the off stump, on a good length, Smith angles it from the crease towards point. Esterhuizen is keen for a single but is sent back in time before the throw arrives at the bowling end.

Beaten! Angled in and then it straightens off the deck, on a good length. Connor defends down the wrong line and is beaten on the outside edge.

Hits the hard length, over middle. Esterhuizen comes down the track and attempts the pull. The bat gets big on him and it goes uppishly but wide of mid-wicket to his right for a couple of runs.

FOUR! Width offered and Esterhuizen cashes in! Short and wide on off, there to be put away. Connor obliges as he frees his arms and slaps it past point for a boundary.

Fuller and swinging back in at the off stump. Esterhuizen defends it by leaning forward.

Bumper, over middle. Esterhuizen swivels for the pull and gets his hands high but the ball comes on slower than he expected. Gets it right off the toe end to deep square leg for a run.

Moving away in the air, on a good length, outside off. Rubin Hermann takes a step across and swings at it to go over mid on but connects with thin air.

Wide! Drifting down leg, on a good length. Connor Esterhuizen misses out on the glance.

A bit of lift off the deck, on a back of a length, outside off. Esterhuizen runs it down to deep third and crosses over.

Going away, on a good length, on top of off. Hermann stays back and glides it behind point with an open bat face for one.

This is in line with the off stump, on a short of a length. Connor gets right behind the line and pats it down the strip.

In the channel, bowled into the surface, Esterhuizen stands tall and dabs it to point.

Goes full, does Jamieson and gets the ball to swing back into the right-hander. Around the off stump, Esterhuizen brings his bat out in front and pushes it down the ground. He does not quite time it well and it is hauled in before the ropes. Two runs taken.

Hands on head for Jamieson! Tailing back in, on a good length, on middle. Esterhuizen looks to keep it out with a straight bat but the ball cuts back in. It goes off an inside edge to deep fine leg. Not far away from being trapped in front.

This hoops back into the right-hander, full and attacking the front pad. Connor Esterhuizen brings his bat out in front and keeps it out watchfully.

Swinging back in at the hips, on a back of a length. Connor gets on his toes and flicks it behind square leg. He opens his account with a single.

From around the wicket for the left-hander, on a length, on leg. Tony flicks it off the pads but picks out the man at mid-wicket.

OUT! CAUGHT! A well-judged catch by Bevon Jacobs. New Zealand have an early wicket but they will need more than just one. Foulkes goes short, on off. Tony looks to pull this one off the front foot but his body weight is on the back foot. He has a swing across the line but skies it towards wide mid on. Jacobs runs over his left shoulder and takes a fine catch. South Africa are 7/1, chasing 92.

Pushes the length up, moving away a touch. Hermann covers the line and defends it with a straight bat.

Bowled from wide of the crease, on a good length, on middle. Rubin Hermann hangs back and blocks it out. End of a successful over for Foulkes and New Zealand.

Bashes the hard length, on off. Tony de Zorzi rises with the bounce and angles it down to backward point.

FOUR LEG BYES! South Africa are underway. Down leg, on a back of a length, Tony swivels for the pull but is late on the shot. The ball brushes his thigh pad on the way to the keeper. Tom Latham dives to his right but can only get a hand on it. It is not enough as the ball races behind for a boundary.

Across off, on a hard length. Tony looks to ride the bounce and punch it away on the off side. Miscues the shot and hits it a lot straighter to the left of mid off for a couple of runs.

On a good length, outside off. De Zorzi extends his hands and guides it to backward point.

A big swing and a miss! A bit of shape back into the left-hander, on a short of a length, on middle and leg. Tony de Zorzi shimmies down the track and has a heave across the line but is beaten on the inside edge.

This is fuller in length, moving back in, on middle. De Zorzi stabs it down on the deck.