Proteas looking to build on opening win against Zimbabwe as Black Caps enter tournament
Wednesday’s encounter between South Africa and New Zealand will be the second match of the tri-series. The Proteas won the opener against hosts Zimbabwe on Monday. This will be the Black Caps first game in the tournament.
The format for this T20I tri-series sees sides play each other twice, before the top two square-off in a final.
South Africa have won four of the last five games between the two sides, but they have not played each other in this format since 2017.
The Proteas side for the series is vastly different to the team that did duty in the recently concluded Test series against Zimbabwe with just five players from the Test squad staying on for the triangular series that also includes New Zealand.
Rassie van der Dussen is set to skipper the Proteas in the absence of regular white-ball skipper Aiden Markram. He leads a team that features the return of quick bowlers Gerald Coetzee and Nandre Burger, who are back in green and gold after layoffs of eight and 11 months respectively.
There will be no Heinrich Klaasen appearing for the Proteas following his retirement from the white-ball game. In his place look out for youngsters Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Devon Conway, a player who fans of SA20 will know well, was left out of the initial squad for the tournament but he has been recalled as a replacement for Finn Allen who picked up an injury playing in MLC.
Much like the Proteas side, New Zealand are well below full strength for this tour. There is no Kane Williamson who is currently playing County Cricket for Middlesex while a host of quicks including Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears are out for a variety of different reasons.
While it might not be something that’s evident on-field, the presence of Rob Walter will be a factor. The former Proteas white-ball coach is now in charge of the New Zealand side, and he will know the Proteas players, playbook and strengths and weaknesses very well.
Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra are in the New Zealand squad, but they are unlikely to play on Wednesday as they have joined the squad late following appearances in the MLC final on Sunday.
Venue: Harare Sports Club
The average score batting first at the Harare Sports Club is 151 while the average score batting second is 133.
The side batting first at Harare Sports Club wins more frequently with 34 wins for the side batting first and 25 for the side batting second.
The highest score at the venue is 234 for two made by India against Zimbabwe in 2024.
The highest score successfully chased is 194 for five, made by Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in 2021.
South Africa have played just one T20I at this venue – the series opener against Zimbabwe on Monday. They won the game by five wickets.
New Zealand has an excellent record at the venue and have never lost at the ground. They have played three T20Is at the venue, winning all of them.
From the 53 T20Is played at the venue the side that has won the toss has won 29 times while the side that has lost the toss has won 22.
Weather:
The forecast suggests that it will be a close to perfect day for cricket in Harare on Wednesday. Scarcely a cloud in the sky, a temperature of 22 degrees and a light breeze. It’s idyllic conditions and it looks unlikely that the weather will cause any interruptions.
Form (most recent game first):
South Africa: W, A, W, W, L.
New Zealand: W, W, L, W, W.
Key player:
South Africa, Dewald Brevis: While Brevis made his Test debut on the series against Zimbabwe, he has spent the bulk of 2025 playing white-ball cricket. He started with SA20 before being drafted in the mix as CSK in the IPL. Thereafter he moved to the Hampshire Hawks for a spell in England. He has looked good across all these different competitions, and he was named man-of-the-match in the first game of the series for his splendid knock of 41 from 17 balls, an innings which quite simply won the game for South Africa. Brevis is playing with freedom and joy and really looks like he is enjoying his cricket.
New Zealand, Devon Conway: The South African born batsman will know most of the Proteas players well. He played in SA20 where he fared well for Joburg Super Kings, playing in 11 games and scoring 272 runs at an average of 30.22. Having missed out on a spot in the team initially he will want to make his late call-up count. Now 34-years-old, Conway is an experienced T20I campaigner with 50 games to his credit, a highest score of 99 not out and a batting average of 38.05.
Verdict: South Africa
This will be a tight one and it’s tough to know how either side will go, given that both teams are missing key players. South Africa have had a good time of it in Zimbabwe thus far and will be well adapted to the conditions. It will certainly be to their advantage that they have already played a game at the Harare Sports Club. Expect South Africa to continue their recent dominance over the Black Caps.
