NZ vs SA Highlights, 3rd T20I: New Zealand crush South Africa by 8 wickets, lead series 2-1

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

Gerald Coetzee to Devon Conway, 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.

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

Gerald Coetzee to Tom Latham, 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.

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

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

Lutho Sipamla to Devon Conway, 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.

Lutho Sipamla to Devon Conway, 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.

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

Lutho Sipamla to Devon Conway, 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.

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

A probing first over from Gerald Coetzee. Lutho Sipamla will steam in from the other end.

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

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

Gerald Coetzee to Tom Latham, 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.

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

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

Gerald Coetzee to Devon Conway, 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.

Welcome back for New Zealand's reply. Keshav Maharaj and his men make their way out to the centre. Devon Conway and Tom Latham will open the innings for the home side. Gerald Coetzee has been tossed the new ball. Conway to face the first ball. A slip in place. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Can New Zealand take the lead? New Zealand are in the driver's seat as we reach the halfway mark in the game. They have much more experience in their batting line-up as compared to the Proteas bowling group. South Africa need a couple of wickets inside the Powerplay. Can they do it? Stay tuned to find out as the chase is up next...

A quick chat with the Kiwi speedster - Lockie Ferguson says that it is a challenging surface for the batters and bowlers get some extra bounce, so he likes to play here. He adds that they play in different conditions, and they try to adjust to the conditions. He mentions that there is a bit in the wicket for the bowlers and ends by saying that their batters will have to work hard.

South Africa's rescue job! George Linde and Gerald Coetzee briefly sparked a recovery, staging a gritty 34-run rescue act in just 19 deliveries, but the hopes of a competitive total were extinguished by a clinical double-wicket over from Kyle Jamieson. New Zealand’s bowling unit remained relentless from start to finish, with Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson setting a hostile tone with the new ball while Mitchell Santner maintained the pressure by striking in his very first over. It was a complete team performance barring that final over, evidenced by the fact that every one of the six bowlers used finished the innings with at least one wicket to their name.

The conditions suited the Kiwi bowlers! Sent into bat under challenging conditions, South Africa struggled to adapt to a pitch that offered significant assistance to the New Zealand seamers. The Kiwis exploited the surface effectively, relentlessly hitting a hard length and using the straight, shorter boundaries to squeeze the Proteas' batters. Rather than showing tactical restraint, South Africa attempted to force their shots, leading to a disastrous collapse. They slumped to four wickets down within the Powerplay and were reeling at 62 for 6 by the halfway mark.

South Africa end well - A decent recovery from South Africa, but the total does not seem daunting enough. However, Nqobani Mokoena's innings has given the Proteas something to bowl at, but as things stand, the Kiwis have used the home conditions brilliantly and are front-runners to win the match.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, SIX! An ideal finish to the innings for South Africa. Kyle Jamieson bowls the leg-cutter into the surface, over middle. Nqobani Mokoena makes room and gets his hands high to nail the pull over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 10 runs off the final over. South Africa end up with 136.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, FOUR! Nqobani Mokoena finally gets one away. Jamieson fails to get the yorker in. This is on a length, following the batter. Mokoena swings for the hills. Gets a thickish inside edge and the ball goes to the left of short fine leg for a four.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, Great stuff! Angles in a yorker, at the toes. Nqobani Mokoena gets the front leg out of the way and swings across the line as one hand comes off the bat handle. He misses and the ball goes through his legs before going to the keeper.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, An opportunity missed! Jamieson varies his length as he bends his back and digs it in short, over middle. Nqobani Mokoena goes hard on the pull but misses. There was a noise as the ball went past the bat, but no one from the Kiwi camp showed any interest. Well, well, the UltraEdge shows a spike, confirming the edge.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, Gets the yorker in, this tails back in at the toes. Mokoena drops his bat down but the ball sneaks past the inside edge and goes through his legs on the way to the keeper.

Kyle Jamieson to Nqobani Mokoena, Leg-cutter, on a short of a length, on middle. Nqobani flicks it off the hips to deep square leg but does not take the single.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, Pace on now, fuller as well, on off. Nqobani Mokoena slices it to deep point and keeps the strike with a single.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, SIX! That has gone back many a mile! Sears bangs the off-cutter into the surface, outside off. Nqobani Mokoena gets the width to work with. He frees his arms and slaps it over extra cover for a biggie.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, Nails the yorker, right at the base of the off stump. Nqobani Mokoena digs it out.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, Leg-cutter, on a length, outside off, Nqobani Mokoena swings for the hills but does not pick the change of pace and misses.

Ben Sears to Lutho Sipamla, A big mix-up but they get away with it! On a good length, on off. Lutho Sipamla swings to launch it down the ground but slices it in front of mid off. Nqobani Mokoena sets off for the run before being sent back by his partner. Mitchell Santner gets to the ball quickly by moving to his left and fires in a throw at the bowling end but misses with Mokoena nowhere in the frame. The batters eventually cross over as the ball goes towards square leg.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, Full and outside off. Nqobani Mokoena smears it in front of square on the leg side and gets to the other end.

Lockie Ferguson to Nqobani Mokoena, Leg bye! Strays on the pads, on a good length, Mokoena fails to get it away on the glance. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes behind square leg. Ferguson ends with impressive figures of 4-0-9-1.

Lockie Ferguson to Nqobani Mokoena, A big swing and a miss! On a back of a length, over the top of off. Nqobani Mokoena clears the front leg and has a heave across the line but connects with thin air.

Lockie Ferguson to Nqobani Mokoena, A sharp and quick bumper, over middle. Nqobani Mokoena ducks under it. Tom Latham gathers it with a leap.

Lockie Ferguson to Nqobani Mokoena, Takes pace off and this is on a length, around off. Mokoena guides it to backward point with an open bat face.

Lockie Ferguson to Lutho Sipamla, Brings the stumps into play and the length stays full. Sipamla turns it through square leg for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Lutho Sipamla, Full and skidding through, just outside the off stump. Lutho Sipamla pushes out in front of his body and is beaten on the outside edge.

Ben Sears to Lutho Sipamla, On a shortish length, on off, Lutho Sipamla rises with the bounce and angles it to backward point, where a fumble allows a single to be taken.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, Very full, around the off stump, this is sliced to deep point for a single.

Ben Sears to Nqobani Mokoena, On a good length, in the channel, Nqobani Mokoena fiddles and is beaten on the outside edge.

Ben Sears to Lutho Sipamla, Sipamla was gone had the throw hit! Sears bashes the hard length, angled in, on middle and leg. Lutho gets on his toes to fend it down but miscues it off a leading edge towards cover. The batter stutters before going through for the single. Tim Robinson charges at the ball to his left and has a shy at the bowling end but misses.

South Africa are down to their last wicket now. Lutho Sipamla is the last man in.

Ben Sears to Keshav Maharaj, OUT! CLEANED HIM UP! Full and straight at the sticks. Cross-seam delivery, skidding through. Keshav Maharaj gives himself room and charges down the track. He swings but is well beaten on the outside edge. The ball goes on to clatter into the off pole.

Ben Sears to Keshav Maharaj, Does not carry! Sears starts with the slower ball, on a length, around off. Keshav Maharaj gets low for the scoop but does not get any pace to work with. It is spooned to short fine leg, where the fielder dives in front but the ball drops short.