Proteas ready to set the record straight against New Zealand before tri-series final

South Africa will get another crack at New Zealand when the two sides meet for the second time in the T20I tri-series at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday, starting at 1pm.

Despite a 21-run defeat to the Black Caps in their first encounter, the Proteas have already secured a place in Saturday’s final – also against the Black Caps – thanks to back-to-back wins over Zimbabwe. Tuesday’s match now doubles up as both a tune-up for the final and a chance to right the wrongs from their earlier clash with the Kiwis.

South Africa were in control early in that game, reducing New Zealand to 70/5, but a resilient 103-run partnership between Tim Robinson and Bevon Jacobs flipped the script. Their stand proved the decisive factor, leaving Rassie van der Dussen’s side frustrated and ultimately short of the 174-run target.

The world Test champions bounced back in style as they beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in their last outing on Sunday, setting themselves up perfectly to have a second bite at the Black Caps.

All-rounder Corbin Bosch admitted the team fell short in the field during the first encounter but remained confident they will bring a sharper edge to the rematch.

“It’s something we pride ourselves on — to be ruthless at all stages of the game,” Bosch said in the build-up.

“We took our foot off the paddle, especially in the field towards the back end of that game, and gave away some easy runs, along with a costly dropped chance that may have swung the game even more in our favour.

“But we’ve addressed it, and I think in our last game we were pretty ruthless with the ball—and we will need to do more of the same.”

The ongoing tour has also given head coach Shukri Conrad his first chance to hand extended opportunities to several fringe and promising young talents, allowing them to stake a claim for future selection.

Bosch, along with emerging players like Rubin Hermann, Dewald Brevis, and Lhuandre Pretorius, has impressed so far and could play key roles in the remaining matches of the tournament.

As one of the senior bowlers in the squad, Bosch believes the growing depth in South African cricket will only benefit the national team as they build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be hosted in Sri Lanka and India.

“Shuks has tried to find some good combinations. The goal at the end of the day is the T20 World Cup coming up next year,” Bosch continued.

“I think he is trying to fine-tune all the combinations. This is his first white-ball tour and series as a coach, and he is trying to find his feet in that sense.

“He is meticulously planning how he wants to go about his teams and how he plans to set up his sides moving forward — obviously looking ahead to next year’s tournament. He is trying to find the best combination of batters and bowlers, and he is doing a good job so far. Everyone is buying into his plans, and we are in a good space.”