How Did Jansen's Four-Wicket Haul Aid South Africa Against NZ?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad, Feb 14 (NationPress) - Fast bowler Marco Jansen took four wickets, yet New Zealand managed to secure a notable 74-run partnership between Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell, finishing with a total of 175/7 in 20 overs against South Africa during Match 24 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Jansen achieved figures of 4-40, spearheading an impressive bowling performance by the South African team. Despite a rocky start, New Zealand aimed for over 200 runs but ultimately fell short by at least 20 runs from their target.
Jansen was instrumental in dismantling New Zealand's top order, taking three wickets early and later returning to dismiss the dangerous Chapman as South Africa regained control.
The pacer struck early, taking two wickets in quick succession, which left the BlackCaps struggling at 58/3 by the end of the Power-play. Jansen made his first breakthrough by catching Tim Seifert off guard, leading to an edge behind to Quinton de Kock for just 13 runs with the score at 33/1. He followed this with two more vital wickets, sending Rachin Ravindra (13 off 8) back to the pavilion with a delivery that caught the edge and was expertly caught by David Miller. The situation worsened for New Zealand when Finn Allen, who had scored 31 off 17 balls (4x4, 2x6), was dismissed after attempting a risky shot, resulting in a catch for Markram.
Adding to New Zealand's woes, Keshav Maharaj dismissed Glenn Phillips, who inadvertently knocked the ball onto his stumps through a significant bat-pad gap, leaving New Zealand at 64/4 in the seventh over.
However, the duo of Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell salvaged the innings with a brisk 74-run partnership for the fifth wicket, countering the pressure from the Proteas effectively. Chapman looked set for a half-century but became Jansen's fourth victim, falling to a well-executed slower ball. His score of 48 off 26 included six fours and two sixes.
Mitchell managed to score 32 off 24 balls (2x4, 1x6) before being caught off Lungi Ngidi. New Zealand faced another setback when skipper Mitchell Santner was dismissed for just four runs off ten balls, leaving the team at a precarious 145/7 in the 17th over.
James Neesham contributed an unbeaten 23 off 5 balls, which included two boundaries in the final over, and partnered with Matt Henry (9 not out off 8) to close the innings with a defendable total.
Brief scores:
New Zealand: 175/7 in 20 overs (Mark Chapman 48, Daryl Mitchell 32, Finn Allen 31, James Neesham 23 not out; Marco Jansen 4-40) vs South Africa