‘We lost our way’: Proteas stumble in convincing defeat to Black Caps

2026-03-17 - 09:53

Having opened their tour in spectacular fashion two days earlier, the Proteas were brought back down to earth on Tuesday, falling in a 68-run defeat to New Zealand in the second T20 International in Hamilton. After the second-string national side earned a seven-wicket victory in the series opener, the batting line-up crumbled in the second game, and they were never really in the hunt in their run chase. “I think we bowled really well but lost our way with the bat. There was dew, but the pitch got worse to bat on,” Proteas captain Keshav Maharaj said after the game. Proteas innings Set a target of 176 runs to win, the SA team were restricted to 31/2 in the powerplay, and they were ultimately bowled out for 107 runs in the 16th over of their innings. All-rounder George Linde attempted to launch a recovery down the order, bashing 33 runs off 12 deliveries, but he did not receive enough support as the tail fell apart. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson (3/16), seamer Ben Sears (3/14) and spinner Mitchell Santner (2/19) all played key roles in a dominant New Zealand attack. Black Caps innings Earlier, after being sent in to bat, opener Devon Conway (60 off 49) laid a solid foundation for the hosts as they compiled 175/6 in their 20 overs. Seamer Wiaan Mulder was the best of the Proteas bowlers, taking 2/14 from two overs, but the tourists struggled to put enough pressure on the Black Caps. However, while the SA team would have been satisfied with their overall performance with the ball, Maharaj gave away 24 runs off the final over, putting additional pressure on their top-order batters when they stepped to the crease. The third fixture of the five-match T20 International series between SA and New Zealand will be played in Auckland on Friday.