MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — A South Africa team with four players on debut rolled World Cup finalist New Zealand for 91 in 14.3 overs and went on to win the first Twenty20 international Sunday by seven wickets.
Opener Connor Esterhuizen anchored the South Africa reply with an unbeaten 45 from 48 balls as the Proteas won with 20 balls to spare. He was supported by Dian Forrester, also on debut, who stayed with him for more than six overs and was 16 not out at the end.
Esterhuizen finished the chase with a six off Kyle Jamieson from the fourth ball of the 17th over.
New Zealand’s spinners helped to make a fight of it and captain Mitchell Santner finished with 1-8 from his four overs on a turning pitch at Bay Oval.
“I think all the plans paid off and the execution was top-notch from our bowlers,” South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj said. “It was a young bowling lineup, but whatever we asked them to do, they stood up.
“It was a little nervy towards the end but it showed the maturity in Connor and Dian in the way they played to take it over the line.”
New Zealand had eight players missing from its World Cup squad, including its top-six batters from the team that lost the final against India by 96 runs and beat South Africa by nine wickets in the semifinals.
After choosing to bat first, New Zealand lost five wickets in the powerplay, couldn’t recover and stumbled to its 10th-lowest score in T20 internationals, its second-lowest against South Africa.
Gerald Coetzee dismissed New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham within the first three overs, finishing with 2-14, then Ottneil Baartman took 2-22 to help complete the ruin of the New Zealand top order.
Baartman dismissed Tim Robinson and Nick Kelly, on debut, before the run-out of Bevon Jacobs left New Zealand on 36-5.
Nqobani Mokoena ran through New Zealand’s lower order, taking 3-26 to stifle any hope of a late resurgence. A 26-run partnership between Jimmy Neesham (26) and Mitchell Santner (15) was the best New Zealand could manage.
Neesham fell to Mokoena and captain Santner to his South Africa counterpart Maharaj, who took 2-25.
“It was quite cool making my debut in the first game and I went out there to enjoy it,” said Mokoena, 19, who was Player of the Match. “The first two overs didn’t really go my way and I thought I wasn’t going to get any wickets. But I just stuck to my plans and thank God it paid off.”
New Zealand plays so often overseas that it’s possible they can no longer judge their home conditions. The pitch at Bay Oval looked docile at a glance, but the South African seamers found both seam and swing in the warm early evening conditions.
There was even a little turn for the spinners later. All of the New Zealanders struggled with their timing.
Conway chipped an attempted pull shot to mid-wicket and Tom Latham didn’t stop to review when he was hit on the front pad by an inswinging delivery from Coetzee.
Robinson attempted a slog over the leg side but didn’t connect and was caught by George Linde running in at mid-on. Kelly was left grasping at a ball from Baartman that pitched on a good length and straightened enough to beat his defensive shot.
Jacobs played the ball into the covers and headed for a single only to see the stumps at the non-striker’s end shattered by a direct hit from Rubin Hermann.
“I think there was a little more in the pitch than we thought, especially up front,” Santner said. “South Africa bowled well and put us under pressure from the start. Wickets in the powerplay, it’s always tough from there.”
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