New Zealand beat South Africa by 9 wickets: T20 World Cup – as it happened
All our updates, with post match interviews and reaction, following our live text commentary stream.
This page is now closed, but a summary of the game is available below, and you can click here for our full match report. Thanks for joining us at Al Jazeera Sport.
- New Zealand beat South Africa by nine wickets in the first semifinal at the ICC Men’s 2026 T20 World Cup.
- The match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, saw New Zealand win the toss and restrict South Africa to 169-8, before Finn Allen recorded the fastest T20 World Cup century in the chase.
- South Africa were defeated finalists at the last edition and had won every game at the tournament prior to this stage.
- New Zealand suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of the Proteas in the group stage and had also lost one match in the Super Eights phase.
- Defending champions India will face England in the second semifinal on Thursday.
Keep up to date: Follow Al Jazeera Sport on our website and on X for the latest news, features and live events from around the globe.
- Live updates
- Match stats
- Lineups
Goodbye for now!
Thanks for joining us for our live coverage of the opening T20 World Cup semifinal.
New Zealand booked their place in Sunday’s final in style, dismantling South Africa with the bat.
We’ll be back for more semifinal action tomorrow, but for now, from me Adam Hancock and my colleague Kevin Hand – goodbye!
Up next for Al Jazeera Sport
We don’t have long to wait until the second semifinal in this T20 World Cup.
Defending champions India face England in Mumbai tomorrow, vying for a place in Sunday’s final against New Zealand.
That game begins at 7pm local time (13:30 GMT), and we will have all the build-up in the hours leading up to the first ball.
Be sure to join us for what is set to be a cracking semifinal.
Read all about it: Our New Zealand-South Africa report is live
Click here to read our full match report following the first semifinal.
‘We will reflect as a group’
An understandably dejected Aiden Markram has also spoken to the TV cameras after South Africa were stunned by Finn Allen and New Zealand. He started by giving his thoughts on the match.
“They bowled really well upfront … they made scoring really tough and obviously, with the bat, when someone plays an innings like that – I don’t think you will come out on the right side of the result many times as the fielding team.
“To get to 170 was a great effort to be fair. We really felt like we had a sniff, but then as it goes in T20 cricket, the powerplay got off to a flyer, and they got away, and from there it was really hard to pull it back.”
On what South Africa could have done differently today: “We will reflect as a group, we expected the wicket to play really well, so potentially we could have adapted a bit quicker with the bat.”
On what he will say to his players tonight: ” We will let the emotion settle first, and once that happens, we will have a discussion as a group and break down the game and try and find the areas we could have been better.”
’33 balls for a hundred is not bad’
Winning skipper Mitchell Santner has been giving his reaction to this astonishing win for New Zealand.
“It was nice. We knew how good South Africa are so to put in a performance like that is pretty pleasing.”
On what changed today from the last time they faced South Africa: “Today, it was about trying to keep them under pressure for a long time and throwing in a little more spin from the start. If you can take wickets throughout its a challenge for them to keep going with the bat.”
On the opening partnership for New Zealand: “It was nice to watch! We were very happy with the 170, but you never know. They went out there and played their game and took it on, which was cool to see … 33 balls for a hundred is not bad!
On Sunday’s final: “It is a different ground, we have been there before, and there are a lot of factors that go into it all. We will be pretty happy tonight, and then we have a couple of days to think about what happens next.”
Into the Final!
The fastest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup century ever from Finn Allen (100* off 33) leads the chase in Kolkata 🔥 #T20WorldCup | 📸 = ICC/Getty pic.twitter.com/TUfYc5k48u
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 4, 2026
Finn Allen awarded player of the match
No surprises there. Here is what he had to say:
“I just wanted to get in good positions and put in a good performance for the team.
“We wanted to start well and put them on the back foot early. It is easy for me when Tim [Seifert] is going like that. The way he batted got us off to an absolute flyer.”
On keeping motivated in these matches: “It is easy in semifinals to stay up for the fight and with Tim [Seifert] we keep each other in it, and we enjoy it out there together.”
On changing venues in this tournament: “You adapt to the wickets; training is really important to get a feel of what the wicket might look like.”
On looking ahead to the final: “You take the positives from this game, celebrate little moments of success, then we have a final to play on Sunday and we look forward to that.”
Fastest ever men’s T20 World Cup century
What on earth have we just witnessed in Kolkata?
Allen reached his century off just 33 balls – the fastest ever in men’s T20 World Cup cricket.
He smashed 10 fours and eight sixes. South Africa threw everything at him, but he always had an answer.
Just one wicket for South Africa in that innings with Seifert bowled for 58.
New Zealand book their spot in the World Cup final!
Allen does it with a boundary!! He finishes with a century as New Zealand wrap up the win with nine wickets remaining.
An utterly astonishing innings from Allen as New Zealand chase down 170 with ease.
Wow, wow, wow.
New Zealand require seven runs to win!
Allen scoops Jansen’s first ball for four. He’s looking to get this wrapped up as quickly as possible.
He follows up with another boundary, flicking a yorker off his pads.
And then the third ball of the over is launched over deep square for a gigantic six. He moves to 90!
12.3 overs. New Zealand 163-1
12 overs. New Zealand 149-1
Allen picks his spot to flick the ball off his pads and through the leg side for another boundary.
He follows up with another huge heave over long on. Remarkable batting from Allen, who moves to 76 off 28 balls.
Maharaj continues
There’s a break in play as Allen receives some treatment from the medical staff. He’s OK to continue, and play resumes.
11.3 overs. New Zealand 138-1
11 overs. New Zealand 137-1
A (relatively) quiet over ends with Allen smashing a six over deep mid-wicket. That was pure power, he barely moved his feet.
New Zealand are just 33 runs away from a place in the T20 World Cup final.
Bosch comes back
His first over went for 22 runs and Ravindra hits the first ball of this over for four. It was well timed, with the batsman perfectly finding the gap at mid-wicket.
10.3 overs. New Zealand 129-1
10 overs. New Zealand 124-1
Ravindra makes an instant impact, carving a drive past deep extra cover to pick up the first boundary of his innings.
Ravindra comes to the crease
New Zealand require 52 runs from 63 balls. Ravindra will hope to guide them home with Allen.
9.3 overs. New Zealand 118-1
WICKET! Seifert is bowled! New Zealand 117-1
Finally a breakthrough! Rabada skittles Seifert as he tries to launch one over mid-wicket.
The opener falls for 58 off 33 balls.
Tim Seifert b Kagiso Rabada 58
Nine overs. New Zealand 117-0
Fourteen off the over as New Zealand look to chase this down as quickly as possible. The South Africa support team look shell-shocked.
50 up for Allen off 19 balls!
Allen gets down on one knee to sweep Maharaj’s first ball for four.
A single brings up the half-century for Allen. An incredible effort off just 19 balls – the joint-fastest in this World Cup.
8.3 overs. New Zealand 109-0
Eight overs. New Zealand 103-0
The 100 is up for New Zealand as Seifert drives a slower ball through the covers for a boundary.
South Africa can’t buy a wicket.