New Zealand Beat South Africa by 9 Wickets in T20 Semi
Kolkata: New Zealand Defeat South Africa by Nine Wickets in Semi-Final
New Zealand secured a dominant nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final 1 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Chasing a target of 170, New Zealand completed the run chase in just 12.5 overs, powered by an aggressive century from Finn Allen.
South Africa, after being put in to bat, posted 169/8 in 20 overs. However, New Zealand’s explosive opening partnership ensured the target was chased comfortably with more than seven overs to spare.
South Africa Innings
South Africa’s innings struggled for stability in the early overs. Quinton de Kock departed for 10, while Ryan Rickelton fell for a duck soon after.
Advertisement
Aiden Markram scored 18 but could not convert his start. Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs added useful runs in the middle order, contributing 34 and 29 respectively.
Marco Jansen provided late momentum with an unbeaten 55 from 30 balls, striking five sixes and two fours. His effort helped South Africa reach a competitive total.
South Africa Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | 18 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 90.00 |
| Quinton de Kock | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dewald Brevis | 34 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 125.93 |
| David Miller | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 29 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 120.83 |
| Marco Jansen | 55* | 30 | 2 | 5 | 183.33 |
| Corbin Bosch | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 1* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
Extras: 14
Total: 169/8 in 20 overs
New Zealand Bowling
| Bowler | O | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Henry | 4 | 34 | 2 | 8.50 |
| Cole McConchie | 1 | 9 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 4 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
| James Neesham | 3 | 42 | 1 | 14.00 |
| Mitchell Santner | 4 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
New Zealand Chase
New Zealand began the chase aggressively. Finn Allen led the attack with a powerful innings that shifted the momentum firmly in his side’s favour.
Allen remained unbeaten on 100 from just 33 balls, striking ten fours and eight sixes. Tim Seifert provided strong support with a quick 58 from 33 balls.
After Seifert’s dismissal, Rachin Ravindra joined Allen at the crease and helped complete the chase without further damage.
New Zealand Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Seifert | 58 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 175.76 |
| Finn Allen | 100* | 33 | 10 | 8 | 303.03 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 13* | 11 | 2 | 0 | 118.18 |
Extras: 2
Total: 173/1 in 12.5 overs
South Africa Bowling
| Bowler | O | R | W | Eco |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Jansen | 2.5 | 53 | 0 | 18.71 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 28 | 1 | 9.33 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 2 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Corbin Bosch | 2 | 35 | 0 | 17.50 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 3 | 33 | 0 | 11.00 |
Match Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | South Africa vs New Zealand – Semi Final 1 |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Result | New Zealand won by 9 wickets |
| Toss | New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl |
| Date | March 2026 |
| Umpires | Alexander Wharf, Richard Illingworth |
| Third Umpire | Nitin Menon |
| Match Referee | Javagal Srinath |
New Zealand’s decisive win secures their place in the tournament final after a commanding performance with both bat and ball.
