With 7 needed from 6, South Africa bottles tri-series final against NZ

With 7 needed from 6, Matt Henry took two wickets and gave away only three runs to help New Zealand beat South Africa by 3 runs to win the Tr-Series final.

New Zealand players celebrating the tri-series triumph. Image | Zimbabwe Cricket on X

It is South Africa again! South Africa and bottling the final matches of limited-over cricket is not new. With 7 needed in 6 balls with six wickets in hand, Rassie van der Dussen and company handed the tri-series final to New Zealand. For the Kiwis, Matt Henry was the hero with the ball, who kept his nerve to take two wickets in the final over while giving away only three runs.

The dramatic final over

South Africa were chasing 181 in the final and were looking good until the final over when Matt Henry did the miracle for New Zealand. Henry first bowled a dot ball and then got Dewald Brevis out, who was batting on 31 from 15 balls, with Michael Bracewell taking a fine catch to start the turnaround.

Corbin Bosch then slapped one towards the mid-wicket to take a couple, which made 5 needed from three deliveries. Bosch was lucky to find the no-man's land with a lofted shot on the fourth ball and rotated the strike with a single.

4 from 2, and South Africa needed someone to be calm and collected under pressure. However, Daryl Mitchell took a blinder of a catch to dismiss George Linde on the fifth ball. Henry then kept his calm to bowl a slower ball to give away only one and wrap the series up for New Zealand.

Henry finished with 19/2 in 3 overs to earn the player of the match award.

What happened in the match?

South Africa won the toss and decided to bowl first. But it was New Zealand who went off to a flyer by scoring 52 runs in the power play without losing a wicket. Tim Seifert was a bit slower than his normal strike rate, but Devon Conway made sure he scored quickly.

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After Senuran Muthusamy dismissed Seifert in the 9th over, Rachin Ravindra just turned the speed of the game. Conway went back to the dressing room after a 47 from 31 balls, while Rachin Ravindra smashed everything which was offered to him.

Although Ravindra lost partners from the other end, it was his 47 from 27 balls that took New Zealand to 180/5 in the first inning. Lungi Ngidi, with 24/2 in his 4 overs, was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa.

During the chase, South Africa even got to a better start with openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Reeza Hendricks adding 92 runs for the first wicket. But after Michael Bracewell dismissed Pretorius on 51 from 35 balls, the scene started changing in the middle.

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Rassie van der Dussen (18 off 17) and Rubin Hermann (11 off 8) could not add much to the total, but Dewald Brevis ensured South Africa stays in a commanding position. Brevis was batting on 31 from 14 balls when the game entered the final over. But after Brevis was dismissed in the final over, New Zealand came back in the match dramatically.

Matt Henry, with 10 wickets, was adjudged the player of the series.

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