Big picture: Focus on the future
These two teams met just ten days ago in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup, but they begin this five-game bilateral series with very different-looking sides. Only four players who walked out in Kolkata are part of the squads set to face off in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, three of them from New Zealand.
Of course, this series will see the likes of Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, George Linde and Jason Smith – who were part of their respective teams’ World Cup squads but did not play that game – get some game time, but mainly, this series will serve as a platform for prospective talents from both countries who still haven’t broken into the first team.
For New Zealand, the likes of Tim Robinson and Bevon Jacobs will get more opportunities to shine, while South African fans will keep their eyes peeled for Jordan Hermann and Nqobani Mokoena, who were the highest uncapped run-scorer and wicket-taker respectively in the most recent SA20 season.
The series will also see Tony de Zorzi return for South Africa, after injury ruled him out of the World Cup.
This series also officially begins both countries’ road to the 2028 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by New Zealand. For some of the players in the fray, it’s an opportunity to begin early auditions for the big event.
Form guide
New Zealand LWLWW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWW
In the spotlight: Bevon Jacobs and Ottneil Baartman
Bevon Jacobs emerged as an explosive batter with plenty of promise, but in his four T20I innings he has a high score of 44 not out and has struck at a shade under 111. However, he comes into this series just a couple of months after hitting five consecutive half-centuries in the Super Smash, the joint-most for a New Zealand player in T20s. With most of New Zealand’s batters rested for this series, and the line-up comprising a number of allrounders, Jacobs is set to assume an important role in the middle order and has the chance to nail down a spot even in his country’s first-choice XI.When South Africa announced their squad for the T20 World Cup, the decision that raised the most eyebrows was the exclusion of Ottneil Baartman. The 32-year-old medium pacer had finished as the SA20’s leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps at an average of 13.55, making great use of his change-up deliveries. Fast bowling is a department South Africa are stacked in, but Baartman will want to use this series as an opportunity to add to his 22 T20I wickets and stake a claim for a place in their first-choice XI. Conditions in New Zealand aid faster bowling, and his variations will make him not just difficult to put away but also a major threat, as batters in the SA20 found out.
Team news
For the first T20I, with many of their batters rested, New Zealand may be a little light in that department. Josh Clarkson will likely slot in at No. 5, with the team heavy on allrounders, although with a couple of left-handers in South Africa’s top order, Cole McConchie could get the nod to repeat his heroics from the World Cup semi-final.
New Zealand XI (probable): 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Nick Kelly, 3 Tim Robinson, 4 Bevon Jacobs, 5 Josh Clarkson/Cole McConchie, 6 Mitchell Santner (capt), 7 Jimmy Neesham, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Ben Sears/Nathan Smith, 10 Zak Foulkes, 11 Ish Sodhi
Keshav Maharaj is set to lead South Africa in his 50th T20I, while the Hermann brothers are set to play together. Jason Smith, who was originally supposed to be South Africa’s finisher in India and Sri Lanka but was pushed down the pecking order after Tristan Stubbs’ late surge in form, will get a good run in that role during this series.
South Africa XI (probable): 1 Connor Esterhuizen (wk), 2 Jordan Hermann, 3 Tony de Zorzi, 4 Rubin Hermann, 5 Jason Smith, 6 Wiaan Mulder, 7 George Linde, 8 Keshav Maharaj (capt), 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Lutho Sipamla
Pitch and conditions
The Bay Oval isn’t a particularly high-scoring ground, and the team batting first will likely be happy getting to a score in the 180-190 range. There has been only one score north of 200 in the ten completed T20s at this ground since the start of 2024, and only seven such scores in the 45 T20s the ground has hosted overall.
Stats and trivia
- Keshav Maharaj is set to become the 15th player to play 50 T20Is for South Africa, and will draw level with Albie Morkel for number of appearances.
- This will be the first T20I between New Zealand and South Africa at Mount Maunganui. New Zealand have hosted South Africa for just four T20Is in the past, winning just the first one in 2012. Their last clash in New Zealand was all the way back in 2017.
Quotes
“New Zealand are a really strong side, obviously coming off a really big high coming from India. But I think with the squad that we have, there’s a lot of energy within the environment being a lot younger. So hopefully it will be a good, strong series and fingers crossed we come out on top.”
South Africa stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj
Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
