Rob Walter’s tenure as Black Caps head coach has begun with victory over his former charges, as New Zealand sealed a 21-run win over South Africa in Harare.
Even missing their Major League Cricket finalists, the Black Caps held their nerve against an even more depleted Proteas side already on the board in their Twenty20 Tri-Series with Zimbabwe.
Taking to the field for the first time under their new coach, the Black Caps were superior to the Proteas in all three departments - batting, bowling and fielding - and were able to give younger players vital experience in the lead-in to next year’s T20 World Cup.
From a top-order wobble, an unbeaten 103-run partnership between the inexperienced duo of Tim Robinson (75 not out) and debutant Bevon Jacobs (44 not out) laid the platform for New Zealand to post 173/5 from their 20 overs.
Then, showing his wares as the world’s No 1 ranked T20 bowler, Jacob Duffy snared 3/20 with the ball - in tandem with Matt Henry (3/34) - to restrict South Africa to 152.
Victory takes the Black Caps to the top of the T20 Tri-series table, albeit courtesy of net-run rate, with three more matches up their sleeve before a prospective final.
What’s more, Walter can and will likely call on the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman and Michael Bracewell for their next encounter, against Zimbabwe on Friday at the same venue.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, the Black Caps lost regular wickets to jeopardise their chances of a big total, on a wicket that South Africa had chased down 142 against Zimbabwe two days earlier.
South Africa’s bowlers struck regularly to restrict the Black Caps to 74/5 at the halfway point, as senior batters Devon Conway (9), Daryl Mitchell (5) and Jimmy Neesham (0) departed early, and left New Zealand at 74/5 at the halfway stage.
But Robinson held the innings together, and passed 50 from 42 balls after having been dropped on 26, as he and Jacobs raised a fifty partnership in 39 balls.
Only playing after the delayed arrival of the Black Caps’ Major League Cricket contingent, Robinson made the most of his chance to bat at No 3, and registered his highest score for his country - so far.
With his score on just seven off 13 balls at the end of the power play, Robinson hit six fours and three sixes to walk off with an unbeaten 75 off 57 as the bulk of New Zealand’s total.
At the other end, Robinson found a valuable ally in Jacobs (44 not out). Having been forced to be patient since December 2024 for his debut, Jacobs showed his promise was worth the wait for the Black Caps.
The 23-year-old absorbed the pressure of South Africa’s spinners, before cashing in at the back end of the innings, including hitting three sixes to boost New Zealand’s scorecard.
While the pair’s first 50 runs came in 39 balls, their second needed only 22, as Robinson and Jacobs’ unbroken stand of 103 runs for the sixth wicket - a record against South Africa - lifted the total to 173/5 when they walked off.
But while South Africa might have had a depleted bowling attack, New Zealand didn’t.
Even as Lhuan-Dre Pretorius (27) gave the Proteas a bright start, Henry found his outside edge through to Seifert in the fourth over, before taking the catch to dismiss Rubin Hermann at mid-on off Duffy in the fifth.
South Africa reached the end of the power play at 50/2, but captain Mitchell Santer’s introduction immediately after yielded the wicket of Reeza Hendricks, as a flatter ball didn’t spin and crashed into the stumps.
Ish Sodhi joined his captain one over later, and hit Senuran Muthusamy’s middle stump to leave South Africa 60/4, which then became 63/5 when Santner ran out opposite skipper Rassie van der Dussen with a back-flick after a wayward throw from Seifert.
South Africa’s hopes were then pinned on Dewald Brevis, who responded by hitting Santner back over his head for six, to leave his side needing 98 from the last 60 balls.
Brevis continued to attack, launching Henry for two sixes in one over to raise South Africa’s 100, only for the Black Caps to have the last laugh when he found Mitchell at long-off for an 18-ball 35.
Some lusty blows from George Linde (30) kept South Africa alive, and reduced the equation to 31 needed from the last 18 balls.
Duffy, though, ultimately landed the decisive blow, when Linde pulled straight to Conway on the square leg boundary, and left the Proteas’ tail with too much to do.
Despite shades of a front-foot no-ball, Duffy had Kwena Maphaka caught at short cover by Santner first ball, for Ngidi to survive the hat-trick ball, before Henry completed the victory with Gerald Coetzee’s wicket at the other end.
New Zealand 173/5 (Robinson 75 no, Jacobs 44 no; Maphaka 2/38)
South Africa 152 all out (Brevis 35; Duffy 3/20, Henry 3/34)
New Zealand win by 21 runs