The Proteas batted first and were restricted to 134/8 in their 20 overs. Reeza Hendricks top-scored with 41 off 37 balls, while the next best contribution came from George Linde, who hit 23 off 15 – leaving South Africa with a modest total to defend.

Adam Milne was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers with figures of 2/21 from his four overs. Captain Mitchell Santner chipped in with 2/26, while Jacob Duffy also claimed two wickets for 33.

Tim Seifert. Photo: Zimbabwe Cricket

In reply, New Zealand’s wicketkeeper, Tim Seifert, hammered an unbeaten 66 off 48 deliveries to steer the Black Caps home with 25 balls to spare. Daryl Mitchell added 20 off 15, and South African-born Devon Conway contributed 19 at the top of the order.

Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy was the standout bowler for the Proteas, finishing with 2/24, while Andile Simelane impressed with 1/5 in his only over.

Once again, a lack of partnerships proved costly for South Africa – an issue that’s plagued their campaign throughout the series.

Speaking after the match, former Knights opener Hendricks said the team knows where they need to improve.

“I think New Zealand bowled really well, especially in the powerplay, which has been the toughest period for us in recent games,” said Hendricks.

“We kept losing wickets and never really formed any partnerships to put us in a position to post a competitive total.

Reeza Hendricks. Photo: Cricinfo

“We’ll reflect on how everyone went about their game today. We’ve got a couple of days of practice, and hopefully we can come out stronger on Saturday. 

“We’ve faced them already, so we know what they bring – and they know what we’re about to. It’s just about focusing on our own game and putting in a better performance.”

The Proteas and Black Caps will face off again in Saturday’s final at Harare Sports Club, with the match set to start at 13:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek mvh