Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series 2025 5th Match Results

Updated：New Zealand beat South Africa by 7 wickets.

New Zealand cruised into the tri-series final with style, pulling off a confident seven-wicket win over South Africa again! Tim Seifert was the star of the show, hammering an unbeaten 66 and making it all look way too easy. The Kiwis kept things tight from the start, holding South Africa to just 134, their lowest total in the tournament. Milne and Santner each picked up two wickets, and the pressure never let up. Then came the chase, and Seifert, after a lucky drop on zero, took full advantage, smashing boundaries and finishing the job in under 16 overs.

Speedster Strikes x2! ⚡️🤩⚡️#SAvNZ#WhistleForSuperKings pic.twitter.com/QNsaF6XiYs

— Texas Super Kings (@TexasSuperKings) July 22, 2025

South Africa just couldn’t get going. Their top scorer Hendricks looked solid with 41, but loose shots and poor shot selection derailed their innings. A few dropped catches and wayward bowling early in New Zealand’s chase didn’t help their cause either. Coetzee had a rough time with the ball, leaking 37 runs in just three overs. In contrast, New Zealand’s bowlers and fielders were sharp and disciplined from ball one. With this win, the Black Caps head into the final with momentum, while South Africa have some thinking to do before the rematch on Saturday.

Three wins on the trot! Tim Seifert’s 66* propelled New Zealand to a 7-wicket victory over the Proteas.

Catch up on the scorecard at https://t.co/3YsfR1Y3Sm & the NZC App 📲 Highlights will be available on @ThreeNewZealand 📺 #SAvNZ #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/gOpDOz0C23

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 22, 2025

NZ vs RSA 2025 5th T20I – South Africa’s 73% Win Rate vs New Zealand’s 26%

In the past T20I encounters, South Africa has had a clear upper hand with a 73% win rate, winning 11 out of 15 matches. However, the dynamics might shift in the upcoming match. Both teams haven’t faced each other this year yet, and South Africa is currently missing key bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje due to suspension and injury, respectively. This significantly weakens their bowling attack. On the other hand, New Zealand’s bowlers, despite the retirement of Trent Boult, have been performing consistently well.

NZ vs RSA – South Africa’s Bowling Attack Weakened Without Rabada and Nortje?

Although South Africa clinched the ICC World Test Championship title, Rabada is still serving a suspension, and Nortje is recovering from a back injury. This leaves the bowling lineup with only Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, both of whom have an economy rate under 8. However, their effectiveness might be limited on the Harare Sports Club (HSC) pitch, which is known to be more favorable to pace bowlers. Without their star pacers, South Africa’s bowling attack appears significantly weakened, making them vulnerable to New Zealand’s strong batting lineup.

NZ vs RSA – New Zealand’s Bowling Depth Despite Boult’s Absence?

While Trent Boult’s retirement is a notable loss for New Zealand, their bowling department remains robust. Bowlers like Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, and William O’Rourke have been maintaining economy rates under 8, showcasing their consistency. This depth in bowling resources provides New Zealand with a balanced attack, capable of adapting to various conditions and challenges.

NZ vs RSA – Can New Zealand Overcome Historical Disadvantages?

Historically, South Africa has dominated the T20I encounters with a 73% win rate. However, considering the current form and team compositions, New Zealand appears to have the upper hand in the upcoming match. Their consistent bowling and batting performances, coupled with South Africa’s current challenges, suggest that New Zealand could turn the tables and secure a victory.

You can also click here to view the full T20I schedules

NZ vs RSA 2025 5th T20I – Key Player

New Zealand’s Key Players to Watch

• Jacob Duffy – Jacob Duffy has proven himself as a consistent performer in New Zealand’s T20I setup. With an economy rate of 6.16 over his last 5 matches, he delivers tight, disciplined spells, essential at Harare Sports Club (HSC), where the pitch offers bounce but not much spin. His ability to extract seam movement and maintain control during the powerplay can restrict aggressive starts from the opposition. HSC suits his style, as it’s a surface where accuracy and bounce matter more than variation. He’s also known for early breakthroughs, making him key to breaking the South African top order.
• Michael Bracewell – Michael Bracewell adds tactical balance as a calm middle-order batter and off-spinner. Even though HSC isn’t very spin-friendly, Bracewell uses tight lines and variations in pace to remain economical, averaging below 7.5 ECON in recent T20Is. His batting, marked by good strike rotation and late acceleration, strengthens the Kiwi middle order. As captain, his field placements and bowler usage will be critical. In conditions like HSC, his adaptability makes him both a steady presence and a smart tactical option, especially when defending tight totals.
• Glenn Phillips – Glenn Phillips is one of New Zealand’s most explosive T20 batters and a game-changer in the middle overs. With a strike rate consistently above 140, he has the ability to counterattack and shift momentum quickly, particularly against pace. In recent matches on similar surfaces (UAE, Bangladesh), he’s shown composure in rotating strike early and exploding in the latter half of the innings. His presence adds depth and finishing ability, something crucial when top-order collapses occur. At HSC, where the pitch may offer consistent bounce but little spin, Phillips’ flat-batted strokes and fast running between the wickets give him a tactical edge.
• Matt Henry – Matt Henry adds experience and line-length precision to New Zealand’s pace unit. Though not the most aggressive wicket-taker, his strength lies in building pressure with dot balls. Over his last 5 matches, he’s maintained an ECON around 7.0, making him an effective middle-overs controller. His adaptability to hard, dry conditions such as HSC or UAE-type pitches has been proven. At Harare, where variation in bounce plays a big role, Henry’s fuller lengths and cutters could be useful tools to limit boundary scoring. His reliability allows attacking bowlers like Sears or Jamieson to operate more freely.

South Africa’s Key Players to Watch

• Heinrich Klaasen – Heinrich Klaasen is currently one of South Africa’s most impactful white-ball players. As the captain and middle-order pillar, Klaasen offers power hitting and experience. Over his last 10 T20Is, he has averaged over 30 with a strike rate above 145, making him a serious threat during overs 10–16. His strong record against pace suits HSC, where spinners are less effective. Klaasen’s ability to manage both pressure and acceleration phases gives South Africa a reliable backbone, especially in Rabada and Nortje’s absence. His leadership will also be vital in managing a young, relatively untested bowling lineup.
• Marco Jansen – Marco Jansen offers South Africa both pace and lower-order hitting. Though his recent T20I economy has hovered around 9.5, his ability to use steep bounce and left-arm angles is a significant asset at HSC. In similar hard-surface venues, he has shown improvement in death-over accuracy and can extract awkward bounce that troubles right-handers. With the bat, his strike rate in T20s exceeds 140, making him a handy contributor at No. 7 or 8. In Klaasen’s relatively inexperienced bowling attack, Jansen will need to step up as the enforcer and late-innings run saver.
• Lungi Ngidi – Lungi Ngidi is one of the few experienced fast bowlers in the current South Africa T20I squad. His recent economy rate is around 9.0, but that number includes matches on flat batting tracks. At HSC, where the bounce is truer and spin support is minimal, Ngidi’s hit-the-deck length and cutters make him a more viable threat. Known for taking key middle-order wickets, he will be tasked with controlling the scoring during overs 7–15. South Africa’s chances will rise significantly if Ngidi can rediscover his rhythm and maintain consistency through his 4-over quota.
• George Linde – While HSC may not favor spin, George Linde’s role remains critical due to his batting versatility and subtle bowling skills. As a left-arm orthodox spinner, his ability to vary flight and pace helps contain right-handers. His T20I economy remains in the mid-7s, and he can chip in with useful 20–30 runs down the order. In the absence of frontline pacers like Rabada and Nortje, his bowling economy becomes even more important to avoid momentum shifts. Additionally, his left-handed batting adds variety to the lineup and tactical flexibility in the lower-middle order.

NZ vs RSA 2025 5th T20I – Possible Squad List

NZ vs RSA 2025 5th T20I – Preview & Match Details:

Match Name: Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series

Match Date: 22nd Jul 2025

Match Time: 04:30 PM IST

Competing Teams: New Zealand vs South Africa 5th T20I (NZ vs RSA)

Venue: Harare Sports Club Cricket Stadium, Harare

Note：The match has not started yet, but updates will be provided regularly once it begins.

NZ vs RSA 2025 5th T20I – Venue History&Analysis: Harare Sports Club Cricket Stadium

Stadium Capacity: Approximately 10,000 spectators

Stadium Address: 3 Lanark Road, Harare, Zimbabwe

Stadium History:

The Harare Sports Club (HSC) boasts a legacy of over 120 years in Zimbabwean cricket history. While it currently serves as the main venue for the ZIM Afro T10 League, the stadium has historically hosted a limited number of international matches due to various issues. One major reason is internal management disputes within Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC). The ICC requires national cricket boards to operate independently of political influence, but in 2019, Zimbabwe Cricket faced serious governance challenges—ranging from financial transparency concerns to a lack of qualified personnel.

The situation escalated when the Zimbabwean government dissolved the existing cricket leadership and installed an interim committee. This political interference led the ICC to suspend Zimbabwe’s membership that year. Although Zimbabwe’s full membership was reinstated in October 2019, the incident significantly damaged its credibility in the international cricket community, making other countries reluctant to tour.

Stadium Features:

The pitch characteristics of HSC have been covered extensively in previous match previews. In short, the surface is hard and offers consistent bounce but provides little assistance for spin bowlers who rely on pitch-induced turn. As a result, spin bowlers tend to have limited variation in their deliveries, making it a batting-friendly venue. For a more detailed analysis, you can refer to the article titled “ZIM vs RSA 2025 1st T20I Tri-Series – David vs Goliath Battle Can the Underdogs Snatch a Ray of Hope?”

Advantage Analysis:

Both teams are playing as visitors at HSC. As mentioned in the preview for the second match of the Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series, titled “RSA vs NZ 2025 2nd T20I Tri-Series – A High-Voltage Clash for Tempo Supremacy!”, I personally favor New Zealand. Although Trent Boult has retired, New Zealand still has several bowlers known for their consistent control and variation, such as Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, and Ish Sodhi. Duffy, in particular, has been in excellent form recently, boasting an economy rate of just 6.16.

On the other hand, South Africa is currently weakened by Rabada’s suspension and Nortje’s injury. The more reliable bowlers in their squad are Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, but both have economy rates above 10. On a batting-friendly pitch like HSC, inconsistent bowling can easily be punished. Unless Rabada and Nortje return before the match, I believe New Zealand holds the upper hand.

All Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series Match:

• ZIM vs RSA 2025 1st T20I Tri-Series – David vs Goliath Battle Can the Underdogs Snatch a Ray of Hope?
• RSA vs NZ 2025 2nd T20I Tri-Series – A High-Voltage Clash for Tempo Supremacy!
• ZIM vs NZ 2025 3rd T20I Tri-Series – After 10 years, who will win? Zimbabwe or New Zealand?
• ZIM vs RSA 2025 4th T20I Tri-Series – Undefeated South Africa is coming strong, how will Zimbabwe face the challenge?
• ZIM vs NZ 2025 6th T20I Tri-Series – Will the Kiwis dominate once again or can Zimbabwe pull off a surprise?
• NZ vs RSA 2025 Final T20I – Can South Africa Make Effective Adjustments After Losing to New Zealand?