Ahmedabad: South Africa registered a commanding victory over New Zealand in a Group D clash of the T20 World Cup on Saturday, February 14, riding on Marco Jansen’s superb four-wicket haul and Aiden Markram’s scintillating knock of 86 off 44 balls.
New Zealand, batting first under lights, began aggressively on a pitch that offered excellent carry. Openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen launched an early assault, racing to 33 without loss in just over three overs. Allen, in particular, found boundaries with ease, combining crisp timing with brute force as New Zealand surged to 57/1 in the fifth over.
South Africa, however, struck back through Marco Jansen, who proved instrumental in halting New Zealand’s momentum. After conceding a six off his opening delivery, Jansen adjusted quickly and removed Seifert with a well-directed short ball. He then delivered a decisive blow in the final over of the powerplay, dismissing both Rachin Ravindra and Allen to leave New Zealand suddenly vulnerable.
Despite the setbacks, Mark Chapman counterattacked to keep New Zealand’s innings alive. Alongside Daryl Mitchell, Chapman rebuilt briskly, ensuring the scoring rate did not dip. The pair added valuable runs through the middle overs, lifting New Zealand to 131/4 by the 13th over and briefly reviving hopes of a 200-plus total.
Jansen returned to break the partnership at a crucial juncture, deceiving Chapman with a knuckle ball just as the batter threatened to accelerate further. Lungi Ngidi then removed Mitchell, triggering a collapse that derailed New Zealand’s innings. Regular wickets and disciplined bowling meant New Zealand managed only 37 runs off their final 37 deliveries, eventually finishing on 175 — a total that appeared below par with dew settling in.
In reply, Aiden Markram produced a breathtaking exhibition of strokeplay to put the chase beyond doubt. From the outset, Markram’s driving stood out, as he pierced the off-side field repeatedly with elegant precision. He mixed classical cover drives with authoritative lofted shots, unsettling the New Zealand attack.
Markram reached his half-century in just 19 balls — the fastest by a South African in T20 World Cup history — as South Africa stormed to 83/0 in the powerplay, their joint-highest powerplay score in the tournament. With Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton providing steady support, Markram dominated the scoring, ensuring the asking rate never became a concern.
His career-best 86 off 44 balls sealed the contest with 17 balls to spare, completing South Africa’s first successful chase in a night match of this World Cup. The emphatic win also maintained South Africa’s unbeaten record against New Zealand in T20 World Cups.
With this result, South Africa strengthened their position at the top of Group D, underlining their credentials as serious contenders in the tournament.
Other Matches Played Today
England vs Scotland in Kolkata: England held their nerve to secure a five-wicket win over Scotland at Eden Gardens, keeping their Super Eight qualification hopes firmly alive. Chasing 153, England were jolted early as Phil Salt and Jos Buttler fell inside the first two overs to probing seam bowling. Tom Banton, under pressure after a quiet start to the tournament, anchored the recovery with a composed unbeaten 63 off 41 balls. His partnerships with Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran steadied the innings, before Will Jacks finished the chase with a pair of authoritative blows, sealing victory with 10 balls remaining.
Earlier, Scotland fought hard after a shaky powerplay. Skipper Richie Berrington led the counterattack with a fluent 49, adding crucial runs with Tom Bruce to lift Scotland past 110/3. However, England’s bowlers clawed back control through Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, triggering a collapse that restricted Scotland to 152. Jofra Archer’s hostile opening spell set the tone, while Rashid’s three wickets ensured Scotland could not fully capitalise on their mid-innings momentum. Despite a spirited effort, Scotland were left to rue missed opportunities as England climbed to second in Group C.
Brief scores: Scotland 152 in 19.4 overs (Richie Berrington 49, Oliver Davidson 20*, Tom Bruce 24; Jofra Archer 2-24, Adil Rashid 3-36) lost to England 155/5 in 18.2 overs (Tom Banton 63*, Jacob Bethell 32, Sam Curran 28; Oliver Davidson 1-12) by 5 wickets
Ireland Vs Oman in Colombo: Ireland produced a dominant all-round display to thrash Oman by 96 runs after posting the highest total of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker starred with a breathtaking 94 not out, rescuing Ireland from early trouble after Shakeel Ahmed’s triple strike reduced them to 45/3. Tucker rebuilt smartly alongside Gareth Delany, blending innovation with controlled aggression before unleashing a late assault. Ireland plundered 93 runs in the final five overs, with Delany’s rapid half-century and George Dockrell’s explosive cameo powering them to 235/5.
Oman’s chase began brightly with veteran Aamir Kaleem’s enterprising 50 off 29 balls, briefly raising hopes of a contest. But once Kaleem departed, the innings unravelled rapidly. Josh Little’s incisive left-arm pace proved decisive as wickets tumbled in clusters, halting Oman’s progress. From a promising 97/2, Oman slumped dramatically and were eventually bowled out for 139, falling well short of the daunting target. The emphatic win kept Ireland’s Super Eight chances alive, at least mathematically, while underlining Tucker’s leadership and batting authority under pressure.
Brief Scores: Ireland 235/5 in 20 overs (Lorcan Tucker 94, Gareth Delany 56; Shakeel Ahmed 3-33) beat Oman 139 in 20 overs (Aamir Kaleem 50, Hammad Mirza 46; Josh Little 3-16, Matthew Humphreys 2-27) by 96 runs
