South Africa and New Zealand are two cricket teams known as symbols of quality, yet they have yet to win many ICC events. In terms of quality, both sides are coming up with one better team after another. This is the fate of South Africa and New Zealand. However, in terms of Test cricket and winning other non-ICC series, they are matching any side. Plus, both nations are known for their bouncy wickets. Hence, the worth and stability of South Africa and New Zealand have become even better. It delivers a brief idea about the better outlook of South Africa National Cricket Team Vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard analysis, in all 3 Format.
South Africa National Cricket Team Vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: In Table Format
| Match Type | Date | Team 1 | Score 1 | Team 2 | Score 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test 2 of 2 (NZ wins 2-0) – Day 4 Session 3 | 13–17 Feb | South Africa | 242 & 235 | New Zealand | 211 & 269/3 | NZ won by 7 wickets |
| Test 1 of 2 (NZ leads 1-0) – Day 4 Session 3 | 4–8 Feb | New Zealand | 511 & 179/4d | South Africa | 162 & 247 | NZ won by 281 runs |
| Cricket World Cup – ODI 32 of 48 | 1 Nov 23 | South Africa | 357/4 (50) | New Zealand | 167 (35.3) | SA won by 190 runs |
| ICC Cricket World Cup Warm-up – ODI 7 of 10 | 2 Oct 23 | New Zealand | 321/6 (50) | South Africa | 211/4 (37) | NZ won by 7 runs (DLS method) |
| ICC Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up – T20 10 of 15 | 17 Oct 22 | New Zealand | 98 (17.1) | South Africa | 100/1 (11.2) | SA won by 9 wickets (52 balls left) |
| Test 2 of 2 (Tied 1-1) – Day 5 Session 3 | 25 Feb – 1 Mar ’22 | South Africa | 364 & 354/9d | New Zealand | 293 & 227 | SA won by 198 runs |
This table shows various cricket matches between South Africa and New Zealand across different formats, including Test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 (T20).
South Africa National Cricket Team Vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline: All 3 Format
South Africa did learn and adopt cricket due to Britain’s influence over them. And the same is the case with New Zealand. Both sides are being called one of the top sides in the game and in formats Test, ODI, and T20I, they have set the tune.
South Africa and New Zealand are two cricketing sides that have shown quality in Test, ODI and T20I to the core. However, both teams are also known for not winning the major ICC events. They have come close to winning the 50-over and 20-over World Cup, but in the finals or semis, they have a history of losing the plot. South Africa won the opening edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998. And after that, they have not won any major ICC events. And for New Zealand, the major win came in 2021 when they won the ICC Men’s Test Championship’s opening edition final against India in England.
But in 2019 and 2015, New Zealand reached the finals of the World Cups in 50 overs. But both times, they lost once to Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. And for South Africa too, they reached the final in 2024 in the T20I format but lost to India.
There have been moments when both sides had the chance to make an impact. However, they lost to win the biggest prize in cricket and that is the World Cup. But overall, they have various platforms in ODIs, Test and T20Is where New Zealand and South Africa have won series and matches. But overall, the growth seems to be tampered. Hence, the worth of this game seems a lot.
South Africa National Cricket Team Vs New Zealand National Cricket Team – Head-to-Head
South Africa and New Zealand have faced each other multiple times in ODIs, T20Is and Tests, over different times and series. South Africa and New Zealand in cricket means quality meeting the quality. This is the reason the games between these two sides are great and follow the mega tradition of success.
In Test matches, South Africa has seen success over New Zealand big time. Both sides have locked horns 49 times in Test cricket. South Africa has won 26 matches, losing 7 and drawing 16.
| Head-To-Head Matches (Test) | 49 |
| South Africa | 26 |
| New Zealand | 7 |
| Draw | 16 |
In ODIs, the record favours South Africa. They have 42 wins to 25 losses and 5 no result.
| Head-to-head matches (ODI) | 72 |
| South Africa | 42 |
| New Zealand | 25 |
| No Result | 5 |
Now in the shortest format, T20Is, South Africa and New Zealand have met 15 times with SA winning 11 and losing just four matches.
| Head-to-head matches (ODI) | 15 |
| South Africa | 11 |
| New Zealand | 4 |
| No Result | 0 |
The H-2-H would tell that South Africa holds the upper hand over New Zealand. But most of the games go the wire and they see the regular uptrend. Hence, the worth of South Africa and New Zealand in cricket is all about the trend where games seem to go the wire. And in terms of fielding standards, South Africa and New Zealand have played the biggest mark in making it great.
South Africa National Cricket Team Vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: Recent Test Match
The last time when South Africa and New Zealand met, it was a 2-0 Test series where the final game took place at Seddon Park from 13 to 17 Feb 2024. After losing the first Test match, South Africa won the toss and picked to bat first. However, the fast-bowling-friendly wicket did not help South Africa to put in a massive total. Ruan de Swardt scored 64 runs, but others did not make a sound impact. As a result, South Africa scored just 242/10.
For New Zealand, Will O’Rourke took four wickets and Rachin Ravindra clinched three. But it became harder for New Zealand, who put a total of just 43 runs. As a result, New Zealand put 211 runs to the board. Dane Piedt’s five wickets and Glenn Phillips’s two wickets helped South Africa gain some lead at the end of the first innings.
Despite David Bedingham’s 110 and Keegan Petersen’s 43 runs, South Africa scored just 235 runs. Again for New Zealand Will O’Rourke managed to make an impact and took five wickets.
But Kane Williamson and Will Young scored not out 133 and 60 runs. And enabled New Zealand to score 269 runs at the cost of three wickets. And this made them win the home Test series 2-0. But the game went to the wire and did make fans excited to follow the scorecard.
Match Analysis
South Africa and New Zealand did show a great battle in the second Test match. And after the first innings, South Africa was in a better position. But the bowlers of South Africa were not able to stop Kane Williamson and this became a key reason behind seeing whitewash and losing the series away from home. This shows the quality of South Africa and the reason they always give a hard fight to the home side. In terms of bowling, New Zealand did make an impact in both innings. And this is the reason they did well against South Africa in the Test. As in H2H, SA holds a better record against NZ. Kane Williamson chased the total well and remained not out and hence, this made them win the game.
Final Take
South Africa and New Zealand meeting H2H means quality meets quality. And both nations like to play cricket which helps the fast bowlers a lot. It is the key reason which makes them ready for the future and New Zealand winning the 2021 World Test Championship tells how good they are and how well they can set things for good. This shows the real worth of New Zealand in cricket, who won their first ICC event in 2021 and that too in Test cricket, which is being seen as a gold standard.
FAQ’s
The first ICC World Test Championship took place in 2021. The final was between New Zealand and India.
ICC World Test Championship’s opening edition took place in 2021, where New Zealand beat India in the final match.
South Africa and New Zealand are famous in cricket for having great battles. But South Africa holds the H2H vs New Zealand in Test, ODI and T20I.
