A loss but a launchpad: South Africa’s young core impress

South Africa's Young Core Impress in T20 Tri-Series Final

For a while at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, South Africa seemed reinvented. They were 92 without loss in the 10th over, needing another 89 from 62 balls to win the men's T20I tri-series final against New Zealand.

Then the wickets started tumbling, two for 24 runs and two more with consecutive deliveries leaving the South Africans with 50 to get off 29. Dewald Brevis and George Linde were freshly arrived at the crease.

Brevis launched three contrasting sixes – over extra cover off Zakary Foulkes, one-handed over long-on off Jacob Duffy, and again, with both hands this time, over long-on off Duffy, the top ranked bowler in the format – to score 31 off 16 and keep South Africa in the game.

Until, that is, the second ball of the last over. With seven needed, Brevis lifted Matt Henry towards the midwicket ropes – where Michael Bracewell danced this way and that, tossed the ball up at the crucial instant and caught it again to complete the key dismissal of the game.

Corbin Bosch replaced Brevis, and hammered Henry's first offering to him to midwicket. Bracewell rushed forward but, with the sun in his eyes, spilled the catch.

Two balls later, with four needed, George Linde looked to win it by hoisting Henry down the ground – only for Daryl Mitchell to take a fine tumbling catch.

Senuran Muthusamy could only flap ineffectively at the final delivery of the match to seal New Zealand's three-run success.

New Zealand totalled 180/5 – the second-highest first innings of the tournament – on the best batting pitch seen in its seven matches. Then they defended it, just, with a characteristically canny bowling and fielding performance.

South Africa were without several major players. Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada were all absent. Of the squad who took South Africa to last year's T20 World Cup final only Reeza Hendricks and Gerald Coetzee were in attendance.

Rassie van der Dussen, Rubin Hermann and Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored half-centuries during the competition. Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi and Nandre had economy rates under seven.