Connor Esterhuizen STARS with blazing 75 as South Africa seal series win over New Zealand

South Africa bounce back to clinch historic away T20I series under Shukri Conrad as Connor Esterhuizen shines with career best 75 off 33 balls.

New Zealand vs South Africa, T20I series, Connor Esterhuizen, Shukri Conrad, Keshav Maharaj, Zak Foulkes, Josh Clarkson, Cole McConchie, Tom Latham, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Rubin Hermann, Player of the Match Connor Esterhuizen — South Africa seal series win over New Zealand
(Photo: X)

South Africa clinched their first ever away T20I series under Shukri Conrad and secured back-to-back bilateral series wins with a dominant show against New Zealand in Christchurch. Batting first, they posted an commanding total of 187/4 and then showcased a disciplined bowling effort, using a six-man attack to seal a 3-2 series victory.

South Africa bounced back strongly in the final two games following a disappointing show in the second and third T20I. Rising star Connor Esterhuizen smashed back-to-back fifties in the fourth and fifth matches and played a key role in anchoring the innings in the decider.

New Zealand’s bowlers leaked runs at over nine an over

Talking about New Zealand’s bowling department, Zak Foulkes and Josh Clarkson kept things tight, the rest of New Zealand’s bowlers leaked runs at over nine an over, with Cole McConchie proving the most expensive as he finished with disappointing figures of 0 for 48.

New Zealand, already without their first-choice top five, were further hit by the absence of Tom Latham, who was ruled out after fracturing his thumb in the third T20I. They never looked settled in the chase against a disciplined South African attack. Bevan Jacobs top-scored with 36, while he also stitched a 52-run fifth-wicket stand with Jimmy Neesham.

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Rubin Hermann, who had been part of several key partnerships for South Africa, started on a solid note as he attacked Ben Sears aggressively, picking up 14 runs off just four balls, and later combined with Connor Esterhuizen to take on Cole McConchie.

However, after a brief lull without boundaries, Hermann mistimed a pull shot off a hard-length delivery from Sears, which was caught by Nick Kelly at the mid-off ran. Hermann departed for 39, ending a 59-run second-wicket stand.

Conner Esterhuizen smashed back-to-back- fifties

While Hermann showed glimpses of his potential, Esterhuizen took things to another level as he smashed a career-best 75 off 33 deliveries in the decider. Dominant on the leg side, he scored 52 runs in that region, which featured five sixes.

Esterhuizen, who won both the Player of the Match and Series, also attacked the pacers, smashing 25 runs off the final two overs bowled by Kyle Jamieson and Sears. His innings ended in the penultimate over when he miscued a full toss to Jimmy Neesham, but he finished the series with 200 runs – 100 more than the next-best, Devon Conway.

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The Times Of Bengal