NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Commentary - Auckland (20 March 2026)

OUT! LBW! A huge appeal for LBW and up goes the finger. Tim Robinson reviews it. UltraEdge shows no bat. Ball Tracking shows THREE REDS. New Zealand will have to wait a bit more. A good length delivery on middle and it nips in sharply. Tim Robinson hops to tuck it away but gets beaten on the inside edge. It was in line with the stumps. Tim Robinson took the review more in hope. Out it remains. A run is required.

That will do. Serves it full and on middle. Nick Kelly bunts it down to mid on for a quick single. NEW ZEALAND WIN BY 8 WICKETS. They lead the five-match series 2-1.

New Zealand are a boundary away! Short of a length, outside off. Latham guides it to third man for a single.

Angles in a length ball onto the pads. Tim Robinson helps it down to fine leg for a single.

Hard length and on middle. Latham pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Bowls a bouncer, drifting on leg. Tim Robinson sways away and lets it go.

Scores level! Shorter delivery on middle, climbs a bit. Tim Robinson tries to nudge it away but wears high on the pads. It rolls onto the off side for a leg bye.

Touch fuller and in line of the stumps. Latham drills it to the left of the bowler.

Wide! A slower one, down the leg side. Tim Robinson looks to flick it away but misses.

A low full toss, outside off. Tim Robinson punches it past short cover and wide of sweeper cover for a brace.

Good stop! Touch fuller, outside off. Tim Robinson leans and crunches it to cover. The fielder dives to his right and gets both hands on it. A run.

A good length delivery, outside off. Latham guides it to third man for one more.

FOUR! Just 10 runs needed now! Short of a good length on middle. Tim Robinson nicely pulls it late to deep square leg. Nqobani Mokoena dives to his left but to no avail. A boundary.

NO BALL! Gerald Coetzee bowls a high full toss, shaping on leg. Tim Robinson gets down to evade but instead gets hit on the body. Too high and it's called a no ball for being above the waist. Free Hit to follow.

FOUR! HIT AWAY! Touch too full, straight and on middle. Tim Robinson hammers it down past mid on for a boundary.

Serves it full and outside off. Tim Robinson hits it hard but straight to the man at mid off.

Turn and bounce, on off, Tom Latham tucks it to the fielder at mid-wicket.

FOUR! Brilliant use of the feet! Tossed up, outside off, Tom Latham shimmies down the track and drills it to the right of the bowler for a boundary.

Quicker, on off, Tom Latham paddles it towards short fine leg for a run.

George Linde keeps it short, on leg, Tim Robinson knocks it down the ground for a single.

Nice and full, on off, Tom Latham pushes it through mid on for another run.

Sways it down leg, Tim Robinson looks to slog it but the ball hits his pads and rolls towards fine leg. They collect a leg bye. 

Short ball, on middle and leg, Tim Robinson makes room and punches it wide of mid off for a single.

FOUR! FIFTY up for Tom Latham! This has been a quality knock from a quality batter. Full, on middle and leg, Tom Latham gets low and sweeps it through square leg. The fielder dives to his right near the fence but fails to stop it.

Short, on off, Tom Latham pulls it on the bounce towards the fielder at deep mid-wicket. Single taken.

Just short! Angles it on leg, Tim Robinson paddles it towards fine leg. The fielder makes a dive forward to take the catch but the ball lands just short. They cross.

Nice and full, on leg, Tom Latham sweeps it through backward square leg for a run.

Short, on off, Tim Robinson blocks it to the right of the bowler.

Not all that short, on middle. Latham goes on the back foot and shovels it behind square leg for a run.

Sliding in at the hips, Tim clips it through square leg for a single to get off the mark.

The 100 is up for New Zealand. Tossed up, across off. Latham fights the angle as he goes for the sweep to a ball leaving him. He fails to get on top of the bounce and a top edge is found. It goes wide of the man at short fine leg to his left for a couple of runs.

Short and on off. Latham attempts the pull but ekes out an inside edge onto the pads.

On a nagging length, on the off stump. Tom flat bats it to long on and gets to the other end.

Too straight, full and on the pads. Robinson sweeps it to deep fine leg and keeps the strike with a single. New Zealand need 35 more runs.

FOUR! Put away! Across off, a bit too short, Conway goes deep in the crease and hits it past extra cover for a four.

FOUR! Hit hard and wide enough! Too short and wide on off. Devon rocks on the back foot in a flash and slaps it down the ground to the left of the man at long off for four more.

Tighter line, at the stumps, on a nagging length, Conway turns it to mid-wicket.

A bit full, on middle. Conway pushes it to mid on for a single.

Wide! Down leg, on the shorter side. Latham walks inside the line but fails to get it away and falls over in the process.

Sliding across, Latham lunges and dabs this full ball to backward point for a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! Devon Conway holes out. Flighted delivery, on off. Devon Conway reaches out in front and goes for the slog sweep but the ball is not full enough for that shot. One hand comes off the bat handle and he hits it flat towards deep mid-wicket, where Rubin Hermann runs in off the ropes and bends to take a safe catch. The 96-run opening stand has been broken. New Zealand need 41 more runs.

On a back of a length, outside off. Conway jumps out of the crease and slaps it to deep cover. They cross.

Beaten! Full and across off, Latham goes for an expansive drive and is beaten on the outside edge.

From around the wicket, takes pace off, on a good length, outside off. Latham looks to run it down but misses.

FOUR! Gets it through! Off-cutter, on a short of a good length, outside off. Latham climbs into it. He arches back and slaps it past the diving Tony de Zorzi at backward point for a boundary.

Did that carry? Pace on, full and attacking the front pad, Latham brings his bat out in front and looks to work it down the ground. He chips it back towards Mulder, who gets low but the ball drops short.

Play and a miss! Full and wide on off, Latham pushes away from his body and is lucky not to nick this one behind.

A run saved! Short and pushed through, around leg. Conway brings out the reverse and gets on top of the bounce to hit it all along the ground behind point. Dian Forrester runs across to his right in the deep and dives to push the ball away from the fence. It nearly trickles back into the ropes before Nqobani Mokoena gets to the ball and flicks it away. It did look like the ball had touched the boundary cushions first, and then Mokoena flicked it away, but the third umpire saw it as a clean effort. Three runs taken.

Short and across off, guided wide of short third for a single.

Flat and short, on middle. Conway nurdles it behind square leg for a single.

Fuller and outside off, Tom gets down and across the stumps for the sweep but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Drags the length back a bit, on off. Latham presses back and taps it back to Linde.

FOUR! Nicely done! Fractionally short, a hint of turn, on middle and leg. Tom Latham is quick to pick up the length and goes on the back foot in a flash. He pulls it hard and wide of the man at deep square to his left for a boundary. 57 more needed from 66 balls for New Zealand.

On a good length and around off. Latham drops it to point.

FOUR! Crunched! Nqobani Mokoena pitches it up, around off. Latham half-presses and punches it to the right of short cover. Past the man inside the ring and beats the dive from the fielder in the deep as well. 

On a nagging length, outside off. Latham plays with an angled bat behind point.

DROPPED! Should have been taken! Slants in a length delivery, around leg from over the wicket. Latham heaves but without much power. Dian Forrester runs in from deep mid-wicket and slides but fails to hold on. 

Pushes it full and around off, Conway knocks it through covers for a single.

SIX! A maximum off the final ball yet again. Short in length, on the hips. Latham swivels and pulls it behind square on the leg side for half-a-dozen. 12 runs off the over.

Tossed up, full and on middle. Latham nudges it to long on for a single.

Serves it on a length and on the pads. Conway tucks it to square leg and rotates the strike. 50 is up for New Zealand.

A bit too full and on middle and leg. Latham sweeps it to deep square leg. The fielder runs to his left and dives to save a couple of runs. Brilliant fielding.

Slower in the air, flat and around off. Latham goes back and keeps it out on the off side.

'Catch it' is the call, it lands on a bounce. Keshav Maharaj loops in a fuller delivery on leg. Latham sweeps but gets a top edge to deep square leg. The man runs in and picks up on a bounce. They cross.

SIX! That has gone into the vacant stand. In the slot, tossed up, fuller and on middle. Conway gets on his knee and slogs it high over mid-wicket for a biggie. That last ball ruins the over. 11 runs off it. 

Serves it full and on middle, Latham eases it back to Gerald Coetzee, who bends and stops with his left hand. 

At 147.3 kph! Shorter delivery, angled well away from the batter. Latham flashes his blade and misses.

Goes very full, around off. Latham defends with a straight bat to cover. 

Four dots in a row. This is just short. Gerald Coetzee bowls a leg-cutter across the batter, giving width to the batter. Latham leans to drive it away but gets a thick outside edge which lands in front of the diving keeper.

Five dots now. Attacking the stumps with a fuller delivery. Tom clips it to mid-wicket.

Excellent over from Gerald Coetzee. A searing yorker with a little bit of inward shape, on leg. Latham tickles it away to fine leg for a single. Good final over of the Powerplay but New Zealand stay on track with 48 runs off the six overs.

SIX! Easy pickings. Too straight, full and on the pads. Latham shows good wrist work as he flicks it over square leg, just over the fence for a six.

FOUR! And again! Lutho Sipamla slips one onto the pads, too straight on a length. Latham helps it away well past the keeper and to the fine leg fence. Pressure on the young, Lutho. 

Back of a length, outside off. Latham bends his back and carves it away to third man. Nqobani Mokoena reverse cups on a bounce. He loses his footing and the ball almost rolls over into the fence. A single. 

SIX! MORE RUNS! Back of a length, around off. Conway stands back and pulls it handsomely over mid-wicket. It flies towards the ropes and lands on the cushion. The third umpire has a quick look at a couple of replays. Six it is.

Touch too full and shaping back in late, around off. Conway presses-forward to defend but gets an inside edge onto the pads. A huge shout for LBW, turned down.

FOUR! Dispatched. 21 runs off the over. Lutho Sipamla bowls short and around off, lands at a good height for Conway, who pulls it across his eyeline and places it to the deep mid-wicket fence. 

Hard length, outside off, Tom Latham knocks it to the fielder at mid off.

FOUR! Cheeky! Good length, on off, Tom Latham moves to his left and ramps it over short fine leg for a boundary. 

Another cheeky shot but just for a single. Length, on off, Tom Latham attempts the ramp but the ball gets big on him. It lobs off the glove and goes over the slip fielder before going down to third man for a single.

Keeps it on a length, on leg, Devon Conway flicks it over mid-wicket for a brace.

Two wides! Wayward, down leg, Devon Conway leaves. The keeper manages to get his glove on it as the ball rolls towards fine leg. The batters collect a run.

Hard length, just outside off, Tom Latham steers it through backward point for a single.

FOUR LEG BYES! That's a poor delivery! Nqobani Mokoena errs in his line. Down the leg side, Devon Conway tries to flick it but the ball brushes his pads and races away to the fence at fine leg. 

Back of a length, outside off, shaping away. Tom Latham tries to slap it but misses.

Back of a length, on leg, Tom Latham looks to flick it but gets a blow on his body. The ball rolls towards point. Dot.

Too full, on off, Tom Latham opens the face of his bat and guides it towards third man for just a single.

FIVE WIDES! Bonus runs for New Zealand! Wayward, down the leg side, and it continues to shape away. Devon Conway leaves. The keeper fails to reach it as the ball races away to the fence at fine leg.

Wide! Width, way outside off, Devon Conway looks to play at it but misses. Wided.

Good length, on middle and leg, Devon Conway blocks it back to the bowler.

Nagging length, outside off, Devon Conway looks to drive it but miscues it back to the bowler.

A yorker, outside off, Devon Conway looks to drive it but misses. A good over barring the five wides. New Zealand are 12 for no loss after 3 overs.

Oh! Lovely delivery. Hard length, on off, and it shapes away. Devon Conway tries to block it but gets beaten all ends up.

FOUR! Finds the gap with ease! A low full toss, outside off, Devon Conway leans on and cracks a drive through covers for a brilliant boundary.

Too full, on leg, Devon Conway digs it back to the bowler.

Back of a length, down leg, Devon Conway looks to block it but gets an inside edge as the ball hits his rib cage. The ball rolls back to the bowler.

An appeal, but nothing from the umpire. Back of a length, on leg, Devon Conway looks to flick it but the ball hits his pads and rolls towards the point fielder. An appeal but turned down. Perhaps the height.

Nice and full, on off, Devon Conway pushes it to the mid off fielder.

Devon Conway and New Zealand are away. Hard length, angling in, on middle. Devon Conway hops a bit and tucks it to mid-wicket for a run.

Good length, on middle, with a hint of inward movement. Tom Latham stays in his crease and blocks it back to the bowler.

A touch fuller, on off, Tom Latham covers his line and blocks it back to the bowler again.

Three dots now. Hard length, angling in, on middle and leg. Tom Latham looks to flick it but gets an inside edge onto his pads. The ball rolls back to the bowler. Dot.

Beaten! This one shapes away, outside off, Tom Latham swings hard but gets beaten. Brilliant over so far from Gerald Coetzee.

Good first over from Gerald Coetzee. Just a single from the over. Length again, on off, Tom Latham blocks it to short cover.