NZ vs SA 4th T20I Commentary - Wellington (22 March 2026)

Just over the fielder. Back of a length delivery, outside off. Jamieson makes room and punches on the up over cover. Well over the fielder for a brace.

Three more! Jamieson uses the height again, he sees the shorter delivery around off and lifts it over mid off. Keshav Maharaj runs back, He slides near the ropes, slips in the process but keeps his composure, releasing the ball just in time before touching the boundary cushions. Brilliant presence of mind from Maharaj. Three runs taken. The replay shows Maharaj managed to keep his legs away from the cushion while holding the ball in his hand.

Serves it very full, outside off. Ben Sears shuffles across to scoop it over but misses. 

Short in length, around off, climbs a bit towards the batter. Sears pulls off the higher part of the blade to square leg for one.

OUT! TAKEN! It's all over. Gerald Coetzee bangs into the surface, on middle. Jamieson pulls, but even with his height, fails to connect it cleanly. He gets a top edge to square leg, where Ottneil Baartman runs in and slides to hold onto it. SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 19 RUNS.

Back of a length, outside off. Kyle Jamieson punches it through covers for a single.

A huge appeal for LBW, probably going down. Keshav Maharaj takes the review. UltraEdge shows no bat involved. Ball Tracking shows it clips the bails of the leg pole. Umpire's call it is. A good length delivery, a scrambled seam and nipping on leg. Ben Sears looks to flick but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Short in length, outside off, angling in. Ben Sears swings his blade across and misses.

Hard-length delivery, outside off. Sears punches it through covers for a single.

Pushes it full and attacking the stumps. Jamieson eases it with soft hands in front of long on and calls for two. The fielder runs in, slides and throws at the bowler's end but misses. Two runs are taken.

Slightly short, around off. Jamieson pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Touch fuller and angling in on leg. Josh Clarkson clips it to deep mid-wicket. Jamieson hesitates for the second run but Josh pushes for it. Two taken.

Keeps it full and sliding onto the pads. Josh Clarkson whips it to deep square leg for two more. No boundaries but these two are just doing enough to keep South Africa in the game.

OUT! TAKEN! Gerald Coetzee strikes. A proper bouncer, outside off, gets a bit of extra bounce off the surface. Josh Clarkson tries to pull it away but outside edges it to the keeper. Connor Esterhuizen runs to his right and holds onto it. Gerald Coetzee slams his head with both hands in celebration. New Zealand are 134/9 down now.

Serves it full and outside off. Ben Sears pushes it to mid off.

Short of a length, around off. Ben Sears hops and taps under his eyes. 

And again. Gerald Coetzee bowls into the surface, around off. Ben Sears hops and defends around the corner. 

Tossed up, full and outside off. Josh Clarkson drives it to cover.

Angles in a fuller delivery, outside off. Josh Clarkson knocks it back to the bowler.

Slower in the air, shorter delivery and comes with the arm, outside off. Josh Clarkson cuts it through point for a single.

Very full and sliding onto the pads. Kyle Jamieson flicks it through square leg for a couple of runs.

Good length delivery on middle. Jamieson drills it down to long on for a run.

Wide! Serves it very full and wide of off. Josh Clarkson leaves it alone.

That is streaky. Maharaj floats one up, slower and wider outside off. Clarkson reaches out to drive but gets a thick under-edge. The ball squirts through, nutmegs Esterhuizen and scurries away to deep fine leg. Baartman has to give long chase in the deep, but the batters read it well and pinch three from an awkward shot.

Back of a length, around off, Zakary Foulkes punches this to covers for a dot. 

 SIX! High and handsome. Ottneil Baartman goes short and bangs it into the batter. Zakary Foulkes goes for a pull but mistimes it and ends up getting a top-edge that lobs over the keeper. Connor Esterhuizen makes no mistake and takes it nice and clean.

Short and on off, Zakary Foulkes tucks this to mid-wicket for no run.

WIDE! Bumper, a bit too high on the batter. Zakary Foulkes goes for a hook but misses. Wided.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Ottneil Baartman goes short and bangs it into the batter. Zakary Foulkes doesn't get the room he was after to free his arms and ends up top-edging this over the keeper. Connor Esterhuizen settles himself underneath it and holds onto a regulation catch.

Good length, on middle and leg, Kyle Jamieson pushes this through mid on for a single. 

Full and around off, Josh Clarkson pushes this through mid off for a run.

Darted into the batter, around middle and leg, Nick Kelly pumps this back to the bowler.

OUT! CAUGHT! Nelson strikes for the Proteas and things are getting really interesting in Wellington now. Under-cutter, around middle and off, going across the batter. Nick Kelly goes down on a knee and looks for the slog sweep but doesn't get right underneath it. Ends up hitting this straight into the hands of Rubin Hermann at deep mid-wicket fence for a regulation catch. New Zealand are 111/6.

Darted around off, Josh Clarkson goes for a square cut but ends up edging this off the inside onto his pads.

Fuller onto the pads, Josh Clarkson flicks this through mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

 OUT! TIMBER! This game has turned upside down since the break. Keshav goes wide of the crease and bowls a quicker one, into the batter. Cole McConchie goes for a cut but doesn't move his feet anywhere. Ends up getting beaten with the ball crashing into his stumps. From 76/2, New Zealand have slipped spectacularly to 112/7.

Full and around leg, Zakary Foulkes gets it away to deep square leg for a single.

 FOUR! Pitched up, around off, Cole McConchie prods onto his front foot and drives this through the covers region for a boundary. This brings up the 100 for New Zealand​​​​​​!

Good length, on middle and leg, Cole McConchie punches this down to long on for one.

WIDE! Good length, wide down the leg. Wided.

 FOUR! Just a casual lofted drive for four. Back of a length, around off, Nick Kelly presses in front and goes in with a lofted drive over the fielder at extra cover for a boundary.

On a length, slanting down the leg, Nick Kelly goes for a flick off his front foot but gets it edged off the inside onto his pads for no run. Kelly was keen on the single but Cole denied that and rightly so as the ball was right around silly point.

Good length, onto the pads, Nick Kelly flicks this through mid-wicket for one.

 FOUR! Another boundary to end the over. A good one for New Zealand as they get 15 off it. On a length, around off, Cole McConchie opens the face of his bat and guides this through the backward point region for a boundary.

Full and straight on off. James Neesham gets on the front foot and eases it to extra cover.

 DROPPED! A complete misjudgment from Coetzee at deep third. Back of a length, nipping away from off. James Neesham shapes up to whip it over the leg side, but manages only a thick leading edge that flies back to the right of the deep third fielder. Gerald Coetzee is a bit late to react and runs to his right, dives forward, but fails to grab it. Two taken.

 IN THE AIR AND PUT DOWN AGAIN! But to be fair to the Subrayen, this was a tough chance. Length ball around leg and Neesham looks to flick it away on the leg side once again, but he loses his shape completely, gets a leading edge and the ball balloons up in the air. Subrayen is running back from backward point, gets two hands to it and puts it down. He cannot hold on. Two lifelines in two balls for Neesham. They cross for a couple of more runs. Only time will tell how costly will these two dropped catches prove to be for the Proteas.

Pitched slightly up, on the stumps. Neesham stabs it back to the bowler.

OUT! TAKEN THIS TIME! Coetzee redeems himself and Baartman finally gets his man. Short of a good length, angling across Neesham from middle stump. He goes for the big heave across the line and gets a leading edge for the third time in the same over. The ball soars high up into the night sky and Coetzee at deep third has all the time in the world to settle underneath it and take a good catch. Third time unlucky for Neesham. The lives have finally run out. New Zealand lose their most experienced batter in Neesham and are 95/5, still requiring 70 runs from 49 balls.

A real toe-crusher from Baartman, on the leg stump. Cole McConchie jams the bat down in time and clips it behind square on the leg side for a single. Phew! What an adventurous over this was. New Zealand need 69 runs from 48 balls.

OUT! KNOCKED HIM OVER! Almost a carbon copy of the previous wicket and Subrayen has two to his name on debut. Darts it very full by keeping the line of attack on the stumps. Bevon Jacobs clears the front leg and tries to drive it straightish but misses to get bat on the ball. It whistles past the outside edge and makes an absolute mess of the furniture behind. From 76/2, New Zealand are now reduced to 88/4. They need 77 from 59 balls.

Length ball coming in with the arm, Neesham eases it into the off side.

Slows it up on a length, on the fourth stump. Neesham smartly dabs it late to short third for a quick single.

Good length, straight on middle, and Kelly pushes forward looking to work it away. But Subrayen reads it early, gets across to his left and cuts it off on the follow-through.

Off break, on a length, outside off. Nick Kelly is rushed onto the back foot and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

Serves it up there, full and on leg, James clips it with soft hands to the mid-wicket region for another quick run.

A touch short, on middle and leg. Kelly mistimes the pull shot on the bounce to the right of deep square leg for a single.

In-drifter on a fuller length, on middle. Jacobs is sucked onto the front foot to block, but inside edges it to backward square leg for a single.

A big appeal for LBW, but it dies down as the umpire shakes his head in denial. Fired fuller and lands just outside leg, Nick Kelly gets down to slog sweep, but is certainly beaten by the pace. The ball sneaks past the inside edge and rolls off the thigh pad to the leg side to square leg for a leg bye. The Ball Tracking shows later that the ball is pitching outside leg.

At the stumps on a fuller length, this is knocked down to long on for a single.

Too full, outside leg. Kelly flicks it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.

 FOUR! Genuinely classic shot! Maharaj pushes it fuller and around off. Nick Kelly leans on the front foot and carves it powerfully to the deep extra cover fence for four runs. At halfway, New Zealand are 88/3, needing 77 more runs from 60 balls.

A bit fuller, on leg, Nick clips it to widish long on for an easy single.

OUT! BOWLED! Exceptional bowling from Subrayen and he gets the reward with his maiden T20I wicket. Full and straight at over 100 kph. Cleaver gets forward looking to swing it through the leg side, clears his front leg to create the angle, but the ball is fired full into leg and middle and crashes into the stumps before bat can come down. Cleaver misses and the stumps are rattled. South Africa absolutely needed that and they have got it. New Zealand are 76/3, needing 89 more runs to win from 70 balls.

Full and around off, driven off the front foot to deep extra cover for a single.

Arm ball, on a length, on middle. Kelly backs away and taps it to point.

Slows it up, on a good length, sliding onto the pads. Kelly hangs back and nudges it to deep square leg for one.

Brilliantly bowled! Short and it slides across the batter with the arm from around the stump. Bevon Jacobs is squared up as he tries to block it straight, but the ball fizzes past the outside edge to beat him all ends up. Just 3 runs and a wicket from this over.

Loops it full, around off. Nick Kelly punches it to cover.

Drops it slightly short and on middle. Kelly croutches low and swipes it to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

Bangs into the blockhole, very full and on middle. Cleaver makes room and crunches it to long off for a couple of runs.

This one comes with the arm by a long way, touch short and on leg. Cleaver tries to punch but inside edges it to short fine leg.

TWO LEG BYES. A bit too full, around off. Cleaver looks to reverse paddle but misses and gets hit on the pads. It rolls towards short third man for a couple of runs.

Slows up the pace, full and on middle. Cleaver nudges it to square leg. 

Starts with an in-drifter, fuller delivery on leg. Nick Kelly keeps it out on the leg side.

Tossed up, fuller and on middle. Nick Kelly eases it down to long on for a single.

A bit too short and wide of off. Cleaver picks the width and carves it aerially over point for a single.

Flatter delivery, outside off, turning away. Kelly slaps it through point for a single.

Tossed up, in line of the stumps. Cleaver makes room and punches it to cover.

FOUR! Wonderfully played. Fractionally full and angling around off. Cleaver steps away from the line and goes inside-out over point for a boundary. Cleaver is keeping the run rate in check.

Beauty from Coetzee. Into the surface, tad fuller and on middle, shaping away late. Tim Robinson looks to whip it across the line but it holds its line and rolls past Tim's blade and over the stumps.

OUT! TAKEN! Coetzee gets the wicket of the set-batter. Bowls in a similar channel, fuller and around off, nipping away a touch. Tim Robinson again tries to whip it against the line but gets a top edge, high in the air and to point where Rubin Hermann takes the skier. New Zealand are 52/2 inside the Powerplay, needing 113 more.

This is full and on middle and leg. Nick Kelly nudges it to mid-wicket for a quick single. Oh, dear. George Linde picks up and has a shy at the bowler's end, but instead picks the running Kelly. Luckily, the batter gets hit on the outside part of the thigh pad.

FOUR! Beautifully timed. Short of a length, outside off. Cleaver picks the width and punches it sweetly past cover for a boundary. 

SIX! That's even better! The crowd loved that from Dane. On a nagging length delivery, wide outside off. Cleaver shuffles way across the line and paddles it behind square on the leg side for a biggie.

Beauty to start and end the over. Too straight and a bit short, outside off. Cleaver defends inside the line and gets beaten. New Zealand will be happy with the Powerplay as 11 runs come from this one.

Beaten. A good length delivery, outside off. Tim Robinson steps across to paddle it away, tries to adjust a bit late but is beaten by the wayward line.

Did that carry? Oh, yes! Short in length and on middle. Tim Robinson pulls it hard and flat to mid-wicket. George Linde, inside the ring, dives to his right and picks with both hands but fails to hold on. It was hit with absolute power by Robinson. A single taken. A good effort by George Linde, but will go down as a dropped chance.

Hard-length delivery, around leg with some extra pace. Dane Cleaver looks to pull it away but misses.

SIX! Connects this time. Mulder goes full and drifts it on leg. Easy pickings for Cleaver as he flicks it on the up and over mid-wicket for a six. Fifty up for the hosts.

Touch fuller and around off. Dane pushes it to extra-cover for a single.

On a good length, around off, nipping away. Tim Robinson knocks it wide of cover for a quick single.

 FOUR! Tim gets a rub of fortune. On a length, around off, Tim Robinson stays deep inside the crease and pokes at it. Gets a faint inside edge that takes the ball just past the off pole and wide to the left of the keeper as well for a boundary behind the stumps. 

Short and on middle and off, Tim Robinson pulls this to deep square leg for one.

Back of a length, on off, Dane Cleaver smashes this through mid on for a single.

On a length around off, Tim Robinson drives this down straight to mid off for no run.

 FOUR! Right in the slot for Tim Robinson and he hits this away for four. Over-pitched, around off, Tim Robinson takes a good stride close to the pitch of the ball and smashes this over the extra cover fielder for four more runs.

Good length, on off, Tim Robinson drives this to mid off and takes a quick one.

WIDE! Good length, down the leg. Katene Clarke goes for a flick but misses out. Wided.

Full and around the pads, Katene Clarke flicks this to the right of mid-wicket and takes a single.

Hard length, on middle and leg, Tim Robinson tucks this through mid on for one more.

 OUT! CAUGHT! The opening partnership is put to a halt as the debutant departs. Short and on middle and off, Katene Clarke gets into a good position to pull this over the fence, but fails to get enough power behind it. Clarke hits this straight into the grasp of Rubin Hermann at the deep square leg fence. A couple of yards either side of the fielder could have fetched him a boundary or maybe a six, but he picks up the fielder to perfection. New Zealand are 28/1, chasing 165.

Good length, on top of off, Dane Cleaver gets it away off the outside edge through point for a single to get off the mark.

Back of a length on off, Tim Robinson hops up on his toes and pushes this in front of Jason Smith at covers. Smith picks up the ball and hits the stumps towards the striker's end with the batter comfortably inside the crease. The ball deflects off the stumps and rolls through square leg, allowing the second run.

LEG BYE! Good length, drifting down the leg. Tim Robinson goes for a flick but misses and gets it deflected off his pads to short third for a leg bye.

 SIX! How easy did he make that look? Short-pitched delivery, on off, Tim Robinson presses in front at first and then rocks back as he pulls this right from the middle of his bat for a biggie over the deep square leg fence.

Hard length, on off, Tim Robinson dabs this to point.

 FOUR! Flicked in the gap for four more. On a length, around middle and off, Tim Robinson steps inside the line and flicks this in the air for a moment but in the gap between mid on and mid-wicket for four runs. 

Back of a length, on middle and leg, cramping the batter. Tim Robinson gets it away to square leg for a dot.

Hard length, wide of off, Tim Robinson gets up on his toes and looks for the back foot punch but gets beaten.

Good length, around middle and leg, slanting into the batter. Tim Robinson shuffles across and goes for a ramp but misses out.

Floated on off, Tim Robinson rises with the bounce and punches this past extra cover to his right for a couple to get the chase going.

 FOUR! Fired wide outside the off pole, Tim Robinson goes down on a knee and looks to hit this over covers but gets an outside edge that takes the ball beyond point and races to the fence for four.

Pushed through on off, Tim Robinson punches this down to long off for one.

 FOUR! A statement to the rest of the world as Katene starts his T20I career with a boundary. Short and on off, Katene Clarke moves swiftly onto his back foot and slaps this over extra cover for four. 

 FOUR! Sweeps this fine and away for four more. Full and around middle and off, Katene Clarke sweeps this through the left of the diving short fine leg fielder for a boundary.

Quicker one, on off, Katene Clarke pumps this to covers for a dot to close the over. 15 runs off this Linde over. A dream start for the Kiwis.