In Mount Maunganui on March 15, (NationPress) South Africa delivered a standout bowling performance, followed by a thoughtful batting display, to clinch a decisive seven-wicket victory against New Zealand in the first T20I of their five-match series on Saturday.

Tasked with chasing down a modest target of 92 runs, South Africa successfully reached 93/3 in just 16.4 overs, with Connor Esterhuizen leading the charge, finishing unbeaten on 35 from 44 deliveries. He fittingly concluded the match with a six off Kyle Jamieson, giving the visitors a 1-0 series lead.

New Zealand, batting first, faced early setbacks as South Africa’s bowlers took control. Gerald Coetzee struck early by dismissing Devon Conway in the first over and quickly followed up by trapping Tom Latham leg before wicket.

This flurry of early wickets ignited a collapse, with Ottneil Baartman claiming two wickets in his first over, dismissing Tim Robinson and Nick Kelly, while a direct hit from Rubin Hermann accounted for Bevon Jacobs. New Zealand found themselves in dire straits at 35/5 by the end of the powerplay.

A brief recovery came from Mitchell Santner and James Neesham. Santner hit a couple of boundaries in his 15-run innings before being bowled by Keshav Maharaj, who took advantage of the pitch’s turn.

Neesham emerged as the top scorer for the hosts with 26 runs off 21 balls, including two fours and a six. However, once he was dismissed by debutant Nqobani Mokoena, the innings quickly fell apart.

Mokoena made a strong debut, taking three wickets, while Coetzee, Baartman, and Maharaj each contributed with two wickets, leading to New Zealand’s total of just 91 in 14.3 overs.

Although the target was small, South Africa's chase was not without challenges. Zakary Foulkes made an early breakthrough for New Zealand, dismissing Tony de Zorzi in the second over. Jamieson followed suit, removing Rubin Hermann, leaving the visitors at 28/2.

However, Esterhuizen steadied the ship, forging crucial partnerships during the middle overs. Jason Smith added 10 runs before being stumped off Santner, but Esterhuizen continued to guide the innings with his composed batting.

He found support from Dian Forrester, who contributed a vital 15 runs, ensuring there were no further setbacks. Despite a slowdown in scoring during the middle overs due to tight bowling from Santner and Cole McConchie, the target remained within reach.

Esterhuizen solidified the victory in the 17th over, hitting Jamieson for a six to confirm South Africa's successful start to the series.

Final Scores: New Zealand 91 all out in 14.3 overs (James Neesham 26, Cole McConchie 15; Nqobani Mokoena 3-26, Gerald Coetzee 2-14) lost to South Africa 93/3 in 16.4 overs (Connor Esterhuizen 45*, Dian Forrester 16*; Mitchell Santner 1-8, Zakary Foulkes 1-8) by seven wickets.