New Zealand vs South Africa T20 World Cup LIVE Score: Proteas win by 7 wickets

David Miller puts the seal on a dominant chase! Lockie Ferguson returns, tries the slower short ball, but Miller reads it instantly and absolutely hammers it over deep mid-wicket. The sound off the bat says it all. Six to end it in emphatic fashion.

South Africa surge past the target in the 17th over, wrapping up a commanding win. Aiden Markram’s brilliant 86 sets the platform, and Miller applies the finishing touch. This isn’t just a victory, it’s a statement performance.

New Zealand pull things back brilliantly through the middle overs. Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson keep it tight, conceding just 10 and 6 in successive overs as South Africa move to 148/3 after 15. The boundaries dry up, and the pressure builds.

Aiden Markram remains the key, calmly shifting to 71 off 37, rotating strike and absorbing the squeeze, while David Miller works his way to 10 off 11.

With 27 needed off 30, the equation is in South Africa’s favour, but New Zealand have dragged this into a tense finish.

Rachin Ravindra strikes at a key moment! He pulls the length back cleverly as Dewald Brevis charges down the track looking to clear the ropes again. But Brevis isn’t to the pitch, one hand comes off the bat, and he mistimes the loft straight to long-on. Daryl Mitchell makes no mistake, a simple catch in the deep. Brevis falls for 21 off 17, once again unable to convert a start, and New Zealand tighten their grip on the middle overs.

James Neesham breaks the momentum! He goes full just outside off the attempted cutter comes out seam-up, and Ryan Rickelton looks to loft it down the ground. But he gets it off the bottom of the bat, and Daryl Mitchell judges it superbly at long-on.

Mitchell balances right on the rope, reverse-cups it, lobs it back as he steps over, then returns inside to complete a sharp catch. He’s absolutely pumped. Rickelton departs for 21 off 11, and New Zealand claw one back at a crucial moment.

What a blistering start from South Africa! They rocket to 83/1 at the end of the powerplay, with Aiden Markram in destructive mode on 45 off just 16 balls. From elegant cover drives to audacious back-foot punches for six, Markram is making it look effortless.

Rickelton joins the party too, smashing Duffy for consecutive boundaries and a monstrous 103-metre six as one over goes for 16. Earlier, Ferguson provides the breakthrough by cleaning up de Kock with a clever slower ball, but it does little to slow the charge.

South Africa even record one of the fastest team fifties in T20 World Cup history, just 3 overs. This chase is on turbo mode.

James Neesham delivers in the final over as New Zealand close on 175/7. After a couple of dots and tight yorkers from Corbin Bosch, Neesham cuts loose, dragging a full toss for four behind square before hammering the final ball straight down the ground as Bosch misses his yorker.

Ten come off the last over, giving the innings a timely push. Hoever, South Africa will still feel 175 is chaseable on this surface.

James Neesham provides a late spark as New Zealand move to 165/7 after 19 overs. He finds a much-needed boundary, shuffling across to lap Marco Jansen fine and pierce the gap perfectly. A couple more twos and singles keep the board ticking, even as South Africa scramble well in the deep, Brevis saves crucial runs with a sharp stop.

It’s not a final-over blitz yet, but Neesham ensures New Zealand have something to bowl at heading into the last six balls.

Kagiso Rabada continues to mix his pace cleverly at the death. James Neesham begins the over with a crisp drive through extra cover for two, but Rabada quickly pulls things back with sharp changes in length.

Matt Henry gets a streaky four, a flashing slash that flies off the outside edge down to third man, but that’s about the only release. Miller saves a certain boundary with a fine stop, and Rabada finishes the over with disciplined lines. New Zealand are fighting for every run in these closing stages.

NZ 155/7 after 18 overs.

New Zealand’s innings is unravelling at the back end. From 138/4, they slump to 147/7 as South Africa strike repeatedly in the last few overs. Marco Jansen removes a well-set Mark Chapman for 48, and the pressure only builds from there. Keshav Maharaj keeps it tight through the middle, and then Lungi Ngidi delivers the key blow, Daryl Mitchell holes out to long-on just when acceleration is needed.

Corbin Bosch adds another, dismissing Mitchell Santner with a sliced loft to backward point, leaving the lower order scrambling. Just 26 runs and three wickets in the last five overs, the momentum is firmly with South Africa as dew begins to settle in and the death overs tighten their grip.

New Zealand bring up 100 in style, taking 14 off Corbin Bosch’s over. Daryl Mitchell leads the charge, picking the slower ball beautifully to drive over mid-off for four, then slapping one square to raise the three-figure mark. He finishes the over with a couple more, keeping the momentum flowing.

At the other end, Mark Chapman continues to look composed, cutting Bosch crisply for four. After losing four inside seven overs, this partnership is doing exactly what New Zealand need, steadying things while keeping the scoring rate healthy.

NZ 106/4 after 11 overs.

After a flurry of wickets, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell are rebuilding smartly as New Zealand reach 92/4 at the halfway mark. Ngidi returns with plenty of slower balls and cutters, keeping it tight, just six off the 10th over, even surviving an LBW shout against Mitchell.

Earlier, Chapman rides his luck when Brevis spills a tough chance near the ropes, the effort turning into a boundary instead. Maharaj concedes nine in his previous over, but South Africa keep mixing pace cleverly. The recovery is on, but the pressure hasn’t eased.

Corbin Bosch asks a few early questions, beating Daryl Mitchell outside off and keeping him quiet with tight lines. But the Kiwi batter breaks free when Bosch drops it in the slot. Mitchell clears his front leg and clubs it back over mid-off for four. He then works one neatly past square leg to come back for two.

A mixed over with moments of control from Bosch, but Mitchell ensures the scoreboard keeps ticking.

NZ 77/4 after 8 overs.

Keshav Maharaj joins the party and immediately adds to New Zealand’s troubles, cleaning up Glenn Phillips with a tossed-up delivery that sneaks off the inside edge and crashes into the stumps. The zing bails light up, and the collapse deepens.

But Mark Chapman keeps the counterattack alive. He sweeps one powerfully for four and then finishes the over in emphatic fashion, rocking back to a fraction short ball and hammering it over wide mid-wicket for six. Wickets continue to tumble, but the intent from New Zealand hasn’t faded.

NZ 71/4 after 7 overs.

Rachin Ravindra starts the over with a cheeky paddle over long leg for six, using the angle beautifully and keeping the pressure on. But Marco Jansen responds immediately.

He hits that probing channel outside off, Ravindra pushes with hard hands, and the thick edge flies to short third, where David Miller pulls off a sharp, low catch moving to his right.

After removing Ravindra earlier in the over, he now gets the big wicket of Finn Allen. It’s a clever slower ball outside off, and Allen can’t resist the expansive drive, but he is stuck in his crease and chips it straight to mid-off. Aiden Markram dives forward and completes a sharp catch.

From flying in the powerplay to suddenly losing wickets in clusters, New Zealand are wobbling. South Africa have completely swung the momentum back in their favour.

NZ 58/3 after 6 overs.

Rachin Ravindra gets a boundary with a crisp shot on the rise over backward point, but he also enjoys a slice of luck, a miscued pull lobs back towards Rabada, who slips on his follow-through and can’t gather the chance. The ball drops safely.

A couple of singles follow as New Zealand rotate strike, and while Rabada looks threatening, the Kiwis continue to tick along without losing another wicket.

NZ 51/1 after 5 overs.

Marco Jansen provides the breakthrough, banging it in short and forcing Tim Seifert into a top-edge that flies safely into Quinton de Kock’s gloves. South Africa get the wicket they are searching for.

But Finn Allen keeps attacking. A thick outside edge races away for four, and a top-edged pull still sails over deep square for six. Despite the wicket, 17 come off the over. New Zealand lose a batter, but the momentum stays aggressive.

NZ 44/1 after 4 overs.

Finn Allen has shifted gears dramatically, smashing Lungi Ngidi for 18 in the over. It began with back-to-back boundaries through the off-side, survived a brief run-out scare, and then turned explosive, a towering six over long-on followed by a crisp flick to the fence. After a cautious start, New Zealand suddenly have momentum, and South Africa are on the back foot.

NZ 27/0 after 3 overs.

South Africa have tightened the screws early in Ahmedabad, with Kagiso Rabada breathing fire straight away. Just two runs off his first over, and Finn Allen has already been beaten multiple times, one shaping away outside off, another nearly sneaking past leg stump as he shuffled across for the scoop.

Tim Seifert hasn’t found fluency either, managing only nudges to long leg and mid-on. After Ngidi’s probing first over yielded seven, Rabada’s control has immediately slowed New Zealand’s momentum.

At 9/0 after two overs, the Kiwis are being forced to earn every single run, and with the new ball swinging, South Africa will sense that an early breakthrough isn’t far away.

Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi

“It looks like a pretty good wicket. We'll just try to get some runs on the board, hopefully not too much dew later on, but I think we can bowl as well. Hopefully it's not as much dew later on, but I think we probably would have bowled as well. (starting with back to back wins) Yeah, it's been good. I mean, you know, I've just seen throughout the tournament, there's no easy wins anymore. So I guess we did what we could. But again, tonight, it's a massive game again. We win, you kind of cruise, so I guess that's our thinking. (is this the game they had marked in their calendar) Yeah, it is. We know how good South Africa are and they've shown that for a long time now. And for us, it's, yeah, it's a big game. And again, we know they're a quality side, so yeah, I guess those small improvements that we've done from games one to two and then taken into this game. We've got the same team.”

“We will bowl first. Played one night game here, thought the wicket got better through the game. Hopefully the boys can bowl well up front and give us something that we can chase a bit later. Slight dew, not heaps. It can be a bit hit and miss at times (on the dew), so there was a little bit of dew that night. If there's more tonight, I mean, we won't complain about it, but either way, we just felt like under the lights, slightly later, it came out a bit better. That was tough (on the game against Afghanistan). Physically, emotionally, I think the boys took a bit of a hit, but I mean, it's good to have those close games early on in the competition. Especially when you're stretching quite a bit of good if you get over the line. So we were grateful for that, but yeah, it's about us having regrouped over the past couple of days and having to do our best. Yeah, we've got one change. So Corbin Bosch comes back and Linde misses out.”

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of T20 World Cup clash between New Zealand vs South Africa. The