Match Overview
The south africa national cricket team vs new zealand national cricket team match scorecard from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 1st Semi-Final delivers a thrilling narrative of dominance and disappointment. Played on March 4, 2026, at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, this high-stakes knockout encounter saw New Zealand produce a clinical performance to book their place in the final
South Africa, unbeaten throughout the tournament until this point, won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch that offered variable bounce. The Proteas posted a competitive 169/8 in their 20 overs, anchored by Marco Jansen’s explosive 55 off 30 balls. In reply, New Zealand’s openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert launched a devastating assault, racing to 117 runs for the first wicket inside the powerplay. Allen’s historic unbeaten century—100 runs off just 33 balls—proved to be the difference as the Kiwis chased down the target with 43 balls to spare. New Zealand won by 9 wickets, and Finn Allen was deservedly named Player of the Match for his record-breaking innings
South Africa Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram (c) | c Mitchell b Ravindra | 18 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 90.00 |
| Quinton de Kock (wk) | c Ferguson b McConchie | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Ryan Rickelton | c Allen b McConchie | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dewald Brevis | c Santner b Neesham | 34 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 125.92 |
| David Miller | c Mitchell b Ravindra | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tristan Stubbs | b Ferguson | 29 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 120.83 |
| Marco Jansen | not out | 55 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 183.33 |
| Corbin Bosch | b Henry | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Kagiso Rabada | c Neesham b Henry | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Keshav Maharaj | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | (lb 1, nb 1, w 12) | 14 | ||||
| Total | 169/8 | 20.0 |
South Africa Bowling Figures
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Jansen | 2.5 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 18.70 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3.0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 9.33 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 2.0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Corbin Bosch | 2.0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 17.50 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 3.0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 11.00 |
New Zealand Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Seifert (wk) | b Rabada | 58 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 175.75 |
| Finn Allen | not out | 100 | 33 | 10 | 8 | 303.03 |
| Rachin Ravindra | not out | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 118.18 |
| Extras | (lb 2) | 2 | ||||
| Total | 173/1 | 12.5 |
Did not bat: Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand Bowling Figures
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Henry | 4.0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 8.50 |
| Cole McConchie | 1.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 4.0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
| James Neesham | 3.0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 14.00 |
| Mitchell Santner | 4.0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 4.0 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
Key Highlights & Match Analysis
The south africa national cricket team vs new zealand national cricket team match scorecard tells the story of a semi-final dominated by one extraordinary innings. Finn Allen’s blistering 100* off 33 balls stands as the fastest century in T20 World Cup history, featuring 10 fours and 8 sixes with just four dot balls throughout his stay at the crease
Olympics. His strike rate of 303.03 redefined aggressive batting on cricket’s biggest stage.
Tim Seifert provided the perfect foil at the other end, contributing a rapid 58 off 33 balls before falling to Kagiso Rabada. Their opening partnership of 117 runs in just 9.1 overs effectively ended the contest before South Africa’s bowlers could regroup. The Proteas’ attack, which had been so effective throughout the tournament, struggled to find rhythm on a Kolkata surface that offered inconsistent bounce.
For South Africa, Marco Jansen’s late-innings heroics with the bat—55 off 30 balls including five towering sixes—gave their total respectability after a middle-order collapse. However, the bowling unit could not defend 170 against New Zealand’s fearless approach. Rachin Ravindra’s two crucial wickets (Markram and Miller) in the middle overs tightened the screws, while Matt Henry’s late burst removed the tail.
The turning point arrived in the 10th over of New Zealand’s chase when Allen accelerated from 45 to 75 in just 12 deliveries. Once he passed 50, the match slipped irreversibly away from South Africa. Records tumbled: Allen’s 33-ball hundred broke Chris Gayle’s previous T20 World Cup record of 47 balls, while his 18 boundaries equaled the joint-highest boundary count in a T20 World Cup innings
This victory also ended South Africa’s eight-match winning streak in T20 World Cups and marked New Zealand’s first-ever win over the Proteas in the tournament’s knockout stages—a psychological barrier finally broken when it mattered most.
Head-to-Head Record (T20Is)
| Format | Matches | South Africa Wins | New Zealand Wins | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I | 28 | 15 | 12 | 1 |
| ODI | 72 | 42 | 26 | 4 |
| Test | 48 | 19 | 13 | 16 |
FAQ Section
Q: Who won the south africa national cricket team vs new zealand national cricket team match? A: New Zealand won the match by 9 wickets with 43 balls remaining in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Q: Who was Player of the Match in this cricket match? A: Finn Allen of New Zealand was named Player of the Match for his record-breaking unbeaten 100 runs off just 33 balls, the fastest century in T20 World Cup history.
Q: What was the match result and final scores? A: South Africa scored 169/8 in 20 overs. New Zealand chased down the target in 12.5 overs, finishing at 173/1. New Zealand won by 9 wickets.
Q: When and where was the south africa vs new zealand match played? A: The match was played on March 4, 2026, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, as the 1st Semi-Final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Q: What is the current series score between these teams? A: This was a standalone knockout match in the T20 World Cup. In bilateral series, South Africa led the 5-match T20I series in New Zealand 1-0 after the first match on March 15, 2026
Conclusion
The south africa national cricket team vs new zealand national cricket team match scorecard from this T20 World Cup semi-final will be remembered for Finn Allen’s generational innings that propelled New Zealand into the final. While South Africa’s batting showed resilience through Jansen’s late surge, their bowling attack could not contain New Zealand’s explosive powerplay batting. For cricket fans, this match delivered edge-of-the-seat entertainment and historic milestones. New Zealand now advances to face the winner of the second semi-final in Ahmedabad on March 10, 2026, with their first-ever T20 World Cup title within reach. Stay tuned for more cricket match updates, scorecard details, and expert analysis as the tournament reaches its climax.