New Zealand seamer Matt Henry restricted South Africa to three runs from the last over to seal a three-run victory in the Twenty20 International Tri-Series final at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Chasing 181 for victory, South Africa needed eight off the last eight balls with six wickets in hand, and seven from the final over, but brilliant catches in the outfield by Michael Bracewell and Daryl Mitchell helped restrict them to 177 for six.
Dewald Brevis looked as though he had won the game with 31 from 16 deliveries and was an inch or two from completing the job as he launched Henry towards the square-leg boundary, only for Bracewell to juggle the ball as he stepped over the rope back into play to complete the catch.
Mitchell took a superb diving effort at long off to dismiss George Linde, who looked as though he would win the game for the South Africans with a big hit down the ground.
Senuran Muthusamy could not get bat to ball on the final delivery of the game from Henry, who finished with figures of 2-19 from three overs.
“As a group we have been playing some really good cricket and to get over the line in a really tight game, I am proud of the guys,” Henry said.
“It is credit to the attitude of our team, making sure we stay in the fight and knowing that wickets can change things.”
New Zealand were sent into bat and amassed 180 for five. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra both scored 47.
Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored 51 from 35 balls in South Africa’s reply and they looked to be coasting home before Brevis’ dismissal and the excellent final over from Henry.
“We played a pretty good game, it was a match of millimetres,” South Africa captain Rassie van der Dussen said.
“We have had guys making debuts and experimented a bit (in the series), so for the young guys to come in and get so close, we will learn a lot from this.”
Zimbabwe were the third team involved in the Tri-Series, but lost all four group games. (Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
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