It was an exciting time when the New Zealand National Cricket Team (NZ) played against the South Africa National Cricket Team (SANC) in the 1st Semi-Final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The match took place at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 4th March 2026 at 7:00 PM (7:00 PM IST).
In the First Innings, South Africa put a competitive 169/8 in 20 overs and in the Reply New Zealand put on a classy chase to get 173/1 in just 12.5 overs.
New Zealand beat South Africa by 9 wickets and made it to the final.
Finn Allen was the star of the day, who hit a match-winning unbeaten 100 off 33 deliveries. His explosive knocks gave him the Player of the Match trophy and made the semi-final match a memorable one.
In this article, you will find the complete details of the scorecard of the New Zealand National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team match scorecard.
New Zealand vs South Africa, 1st Semi-Final, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
| Detail | Information |
| Match | New Zealand vs South Africa |
| Tournament | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Stage | 1st Semi-Final |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Date | 4 March 2026 |
| Toss | New Zealand elected to field/bowl first |
| Result | New Zealand won by 9 wickets |
| South Africa Score | 169/8 (20 overs) |
| New Zealand Score | 173/1 (12.5 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Finn Allen |
| Match Number | T20I No. 3751 |
| Series Result | New Zealand advanced to the final |
New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final Squad
New Zealand Squad
| Player | Role |
| Tim Seifert †| Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Finn Allen | Opening Batter |
| Rachin Ravindra | Batting All-rounder |
| Glenn Phillips | Middle-order Batter |
| Mark Chapman | Batter |
| Daryl Mitchell | Batting All-rounder |
| Mitchell Santner (c) | All-rounder |
| James Neesham | All-rounder |
| Cole McConchie | Spin All-rounder |
| Matt Henry | Fast Bowler |
| Lockie Ferguson | Fast Bowler |
South Africa Squad
| Player | Role |
| Aiden Markram (c) | Batting All-rounder |
| Quinton de Kock †| Wicketkeeper Batter |
| Ryan Rickelton | Opening Batter |
| Dewald Brevis | Top-order Batter |
| David Miller | Middle-order Batter |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batter |
| Marco Jansen | Fast Bowling All-rounder |
| Corbin Bosch | All-rounder |
| Kagiso Rabada | Fast Bowler |
| Keshav Maharaj | Spin Bowler |
| Lungi Ngidi | Fast Bowler |
New Zealand National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
The first half of the game was tough for South Africa as they lost both Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton within two overs. Captain Aiden Markram struggled to find his rhythm against the pace, and the middle order found it difficult to accelerate the scoring rate.
Dewald Brevis was handed some good looks and Tristan Stubbs provided some decent runs. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. It was Marco Jansen who turned the tide in the last over with a big unbeaten knock. His five sixes enabled SA to get a respectable 169/8.
South Africa National Cricket, 1st inning (Batting Stats)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Aiden Markram | 18 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 90.00 |
| Quinton de Kock | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Ryan Rickelton | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dewald Brevis | 34 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 125.92 |
| David Miller | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Tristan Stubbs | 29 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 120.83 |
| Marco Jansen | 55* | 30 | 2 | 5 | 183.33 |
| Corbin Bosch | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 1* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 169/8 | 20 overs | — | — | — |
New Zealand 2nd Innings (Bowling Stats)
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Matt Henry | 4 | 34 | 2 |
| Cole McConchie | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 4 | 29 | 1 |
| James Neesham | 3 | 42 | 1 |
| Mitchell Santner | 4 | 25 | 0 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 4 | 29 | 2 |
New Zealand 2nd Innings (Batting Stats)
New Zealand put up one of the biggest runs in the T20 World Cup history. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen’s opening stand was enough to wreck the South African side. The two batsmen scored a 117-run partnership in 9.1 overs. Seifert went on to attack the fast bowlers as Allen delivered an unbelievable innings, smashing ten fours and eight sixes. Seifert was replaced by Rachin Ravindra, and he took care of the rest with Allen to finish strong.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Tim Seifert | 58 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 175.75 |
| Finn Allen | 100* | 33 | 10 | 8 | 303.03 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 13* | 11 | 2 | 0 | 118.18 |
| Extras | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 173/1 | 12.5 overs | — | — | — |
South Africa 2nd Innings (Bowling Stats)
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
| Marco Jansen | 2.5 | 53 | 0 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 28 | 1 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| Corbin Bosch | 2 | 35 | 0 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 3 | 33 | 0 |
Best Performances
| Statistic | Record |
| Highest Score | Finn Allen – 100* |
| Fastest Fifty | Finn Allen – 19 balls |
| Best Bowling | Matt Henry – 2/34 |
| Highest Strike Rate | Finn Allen – 303.03 |
| Best South Africa Batter | Marco Jansen – 55* |
| Opening Partnership | 117 runs |
| Match Margin | New Zealand won by 9 wickets |
| Balls Remaining | 43 balls |
New Zealand Road to the Final
After all, New Zealand qualified for the semi-final by dazzling the opposition with their play throughout the competition. They were one of the strongest teams as they were a well-balanced team, they hit the ball hard and they were disciplined in bowling.The comprehensive win over South Africa helped them to gain confidence and qualify for the T20 World Cup final.
Player of the Match
Finn Allen is the hero of New Zealand’s semi-final win against South Africa in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With impressive power and fearlessness, he took over the chase with a brilliant unbeaten 100 runs off 33 balls. His explosive stroke play saw South Africa put under pressure and New Zealand easily reach the target. Finn Allen was declared Player of the Match for his match winning century and excellent performance in a high pressure match.
Match Summery
- New Zealand team vs South Africa national cricket team, first semi-final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Eden Garden, Kolkata on 4th March, 2026 was one of the most exciting cricket matches ever.
- South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. South Africa had their solid bowlers look to defend their total when they tried a solid start and ended with a respectable score of 169/8 in 20 overs.
- New Zealand however had a bold start to the run chase. Their number of leading batsman excelled in the game and they performed brilliant batting. It was a target that was achieved at 173/1 in just 12.5 overs, then, by 9 wickets for New Zealand.
- The best player of the match was Finn Allen who hit unbeaten 100 runs from 33 balls. He then came up with his splendid stroke play that turned the match in his favour and won the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
- South Africa’s effort in the semi-final was a red carpet finish but it was not enough to save them as New Zealand went into the final after the match.
Conclusion
The New Zealand vs South Africa first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be a tale of Finn Allen’s outstanding century and New Zealand’s superior chase. South Africa fought back heroically with Marco Jansen’s unbeaten fifty, but their total of 169 wasn’t enough to trouble a firing New Zealand batting lineup. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen played one of the best opening pairings in a knockout game in the T20 World Cup. The New Zealand side proved to be strong both as a batsman and a bowler with their nine-wicket win with 43 balls to spare. The Black Caps started the final with a tremendous momentum and South Africa also suffered in ICC knockout game.
FAQ’S
New Zealand scored 173/1 in 12.5 overs.
Finn Allen got 100 off 33 balls and won the prize.
South Africa scored 169/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Finn Allen was the first to get his hundred runs in 33 balls.
Tim Seifert hit 58 runs on 33 deliveries.
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