New Zealand and South Africa jostle for series lead in high-scoring Auckland

NZ do not have a great record at Eden Park but will hope the experience of playing here will help them overcome the SA challenge

Hemant Brar

Published: Mar 19, 2026, 1:53 PM (2 hrs ago)

Big picture

Batting hasn't been easy so far during this five-match T20I series between New Zealand and South Africa. In the first T20I in Mount Maunganui, the hosts were bundled out for 91. In the second in Hamilton, the visitors folded for 107 in a chase of 176. But things are likely to change in Auckland.

Eden Park is famous for its unusual dimensions. The straight boundaries are so small that they don't meet the ICC requirements (minimum 59.43 metres from the centre of the pitch). But as an existing venue prior to those requirements being brought in, it is exempt. In the words of Lockie Ferguson, "the crowd feels like they are right on your back".

The playing area itself is in the shape of a rectangle, which makes field placement tricky. Wasim Akram, who made his Test debut here, once said if you want a fielder at fine leg, you ask him to go to midwicket.

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All those things make it a batting-friendly venue. Of all the New Zealand grounds, it has the highest scoring rate - 10.19 - in the first innings of a T20I. Overall, among the venues that have hosted at least five T20Is, only SuperSport Park in Centurion (10.59) and the Wanderers in Johannesburg (10.41) have higher first-innings scoring rates.

South Africa have played two T20Is in Auckland and won both. However, they have not played an international match here since 2017, which means none of their squad members has the experience of playing here.

Theoretically, that should give New Zealand an advantage as the visiting teams may take time to adjust to the dimensions. But that is not the case. In fact, New Zealand have their worst win-loss T20I record at a venue in Auckland, with 12 wins and 19 losses, including Super Over results.

Form guide

New Zealand WLLWL (last five T20Is, most recent first)

South Africa LWLWW

In the spotlight: Devon Conway and Wiaan Mulder

Devon Conway spent the entire 2026 T20 World Cup on the bench. At this moment, he doesn't have the gears to bat in the ultra-aggressive manner Tim Seifert and Finn Allen do. But his more traditional approach helped him tackle the difficult conditions in Hamilton and score 60 off 49 balls, the only half-century of the series so far. New Zealand will expect a similar score from him in Auckland but at a faster rate.

Wiaan Mulder opened the innings in the second T20I, something he had never done previously in international cricket. In all T20 cricket, he had done so only six times in 140 outings and never since July 2023. The move backfired and Mulder scored a laboured 16 off 20 balls, 14 of which were dots. Given South Africa have Tony de Zorzi in the side, it may be better to open with him and let Mulder bat down the order.

Team news

New Zealand could field an unchanged XI.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Tom Latham (wk), 3 Tim Robinson, 4 Nick Kelly, 5 Josh Clarkson, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 Cole McConchie, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Ben Sears, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Unless South Africa want to rest one of their seamers, they too may go in with the same XI. However, they could change their batting order with de Zorzi replacing Mulder at the top of the order.

South Africa (probable): 1 Tony de Zorzi, 2 Connor Esterhuizen (wk), 3 Rubin Hermann, 4 Jason Smith, 5 Dian Forrester, 6 Wiaan Mulder, 7 George Linde, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Keshav Maharaj (capt), 10 Nqobani Mokoena, 11 Ottneil Baartman

Pitch and conditions

In November 2025, when Eden Park last hosted a T20I, West Indies almost chased down New Zealand's 207 for 5. Friday's game could be similarly high-scoring. The weather is expected to be cloudy but there is no forecast for rain.

Stats and trivia

New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a bilateral series of two or more T20Is.

Since the start of 2025, Mitchell Santner has a strike rate of 155.68 in T20I cricket. Among the New Zealand batters who have scored at least 100 runs in this period, only Allen (204.70) and Seifert (164.94) have scored faster.

Ottneil Baartman is the leading wicket-taker in the SA20, with 61 scalps from 34 games.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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