New Zealand and South Africa, two of cricket’s giants, have produced some of the greatest legends that world cricket will ever see. New Zealand and South Africa have played numerous remarkable matches, giving tough competitions and hard times to each other. The New Zealand vs South Africa rivalry is as old as popular, etched with iconic moments, significant milestones, historic finishes, and more. New Zealand National Cricket Team Vs South Africa National Cricket Team timeline dates back to the 1930s when the Proteas visited New Zealand for the first time and defeated the Black Caps by an innings and 12 runs in their first ever international encounter. The South Africa-New Zealand rivalry intensified with each match between them, with a significant period of South Africa’s dominance and New Zealand’s crucial battle against them.
Early Encounters: 1930s to 1960s
New Zealand and South Africa met for the first for the Test match in the 1931-1932 New Zealand v South Africa series. Although South Africa has won most of the ODI matches, New Zealand has also given tough times to the Proteas in this period.
- 1931-1932 New Zealand vs South Africa: New Zealand and South Africa met for a 2-match Test series in 1932 in New Zealand. The first game was won by South Africa by an innings and twelve runs, and the second by eight wickets. James Christy (103) and Bruce Mitchell (113) opened the innings for South Africa to score 451 for their side in the 1st Test. In the second Test, the Proteas won the game by 8 wickets. Xenophon Balaskas scored an unbeatable 122, which proved significant for South Africa’s win.
- 1952-1953 New Zealand vs South Africa: After two decades, the two teams met again in New Zealand for a 2-match Test series. Derrick McGlew led South Africa with 255, with a crucial contribution by Anton Murray (109), leading to the Proteas’ win by an innings and 180 runs. The second Test was a draw.
- 1953-1954 South Africa v New Zealand: South Africa won the series 4-0 . South Africa won the 1st Test by innings and 58 runs, the second by 132 runs, the fourth by 9 wickets, and the fifth by 5 wickets. Derrick McGlew, Russell Endean, John Cheetham, Clive van Ryneveld, Hugh Tayfield, David Ironside, and Neil Adcock were crucial players for South Africa. On the other hand, Geoffrey Rabone, John Reid, Bert Sutcliffe, Anthony MacGibbon, Bob Blair, and Guy Overton were key players for New Zealand.
- 1961-1962 South Africa v New Zealand: The 3rd Test of the 5-match series was historic for New Zealand as it was the first win of the Kiwis against the Proteas. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat, came on the ground to produce 385 & 212 for the hosts, to which South Africa retaliated with 190 & 335. The Kiwis won the match by 72 runs, thanks to Zin Harris ’ 101 in the first innings. However, what’s more unforgettable is Roy McLean’s run chase of 113 in South Africa’s second innings.
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Clashes After South Africa’s Resurgence in International Cricket: 1990s to 2010s
Although South Africa was banned from international cricket for around 3 decades, they still kept their hold on the sport.
- 1991-1992 Benson & Hedges World Cup: After South Africa’s reinstatement to international cricket in 1991, their 10th match against the Kiwis was a One Day International in Auckland. Losing 7 wickets, South Africa posted a total of 190, with Peter Kirsten leading the side with 90 runs. New Zealand completed the run chase with only 3 wickets down in 34.3 overs, thanks to Mark Greatbatch (68) and Rodney Latham (60).
- 1994-1995 New Zealand Centenary Tournament: The 100th anniversary of the New Zealand Cricket Council’s founding in 1994 was commemorated with this quadrangular One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament series. The 6th match of the tournament against South Africa was won by New Zealand by 46 runs. The Kiwis scored 249, whereas they restricted the Proteas to 203.
- 1998-1999 New Zealand v South Africa: The two nations met in New Zealand for a 3-match Test series. While the first two matches concluded in a draw, the third match was claimed by South Africa by 8 wickets. Although the first game was a draw, Daryll Cullinan scored his career high of 275* in South Africa’s innings, breaking the previous best of 274 by Graeme Pollock.
- 2003 ICC World Cup: New Zealand won the 13th match of the tournament against South Africa by 9 wickets by the D/L method. Chose to bat, South Africa scored 306, led by Herschelle Gibbs (143). Due to a rain delay, New Zealand’s target was set at 226 runs from 39 overs. Stephen Fleming scored an unbeatable 134 to amass 229 in 36.5 overs, clinching the victory for the Kiwis.
- 2005-2006 South Africa v New Zealand: The two heavyweights of the international cricket arena met in Johannesburg to play their first ever T20I match on 21st October, 2005. Invited to bat first, South Africa scored 133 with Graeme Smith leading with 61. New Zealand completed the chase of 134 with 5 wickets down in only 18 overs.
- 2007-2008 South Africa v New Zealand: New Zealand and South Africa played a two-match Test series in South Africa. South Africa prevailed by 358 runs in the first game and by 59 runs in the second. With bowling numbers of 5/34 & 5/59, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla (176), and Jacques Kallis (186) were the main contributors to the Proteas’ victory in the opening match. In the second game, South Africa scored 383 against New Zealand’s total of 188. However, the Kiwis lost by an innings and 59 runs after being dismissed for 136. Dale Steyn’s outstanding bowling, which saw him take 4 and 6 wickets in the first and second innings, earned him the title of player of the match.
- 2009 ICC World Twenty20: The 10th match of the tournament was won by South Africa by 1 run. The Black Caps ran for a target of 129, led by Brendon McCullum (57), however, their slow batting restricted them from completing the run chase, and they were dismissed for 127.
- 2011 ICC World Cup: New Zealand and South Africa met in Dhaka for the 3rd Quarter-Final, where New Zealand won by 49 runs. They produced 221 runs, losing 8 wickets, and restricted South African players to 172, thanks to Jacob Oram, who claimed 4 wickets, dismissing crucial players like Graeme Smith and Faf du Plessis. Nathan McCullum also took 3 wickets.
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2010s to Recent Encounters
The South African National Cricket team has largely dominated the New Zealand National Cricket team, especially in early periods. However, in later years, New Zealand has clinched victory in significant matches, highlighting their ability to compete closely and beat the Proteas.
- 2011-2012 New Zealand v South Africa: In the three-match Test series, South Africa prevailed 1-0. While they won the second Test by 9 wickets, the first and third matches concluded in a draw.
- 2011-2012 New Zealand v South Africa: The Black Caps and the Proteas played a 3-match T20I series in New Zealand. The Kiwis impressed the fans with their victory in the first match; however, they lost the next two games to the South African players.
- 2015 ICC World Cup: South Africa and New Zealand played the 1st Semi-Final of the 2015 ICC tournament in Auckland. New Zealand won by 4 wickets thanks to the D/L method. Due to rain, South Africa’s innings were reduced to 43 overs. The Proteas scored 281 in 43 overs, with 5 wickets down. The Black Caps got a target of 298 runs off 43.0 overs, and they pulled off the run chase of 299 with 6 wickets down. Grant Elliott scored 84 not out, which proved crucial for their victory.
- 2016-2017 New Zealand v South Africa: Although the 5-match ODI series between NZ and SA was won by South Africa 3-2, it was a treat to watch. South Africa won the 1st, 3rd, and 5th games of the series, while the remaining 2 were won by New Zealand. Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Chris Morris, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, and Imran Tahir were significant players for South Africa. On the contrary, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, and Mitchell Santner were influential players for the Kiwis.
- 2016-2017 New Zealand v South Africa: The two nations played a Twenty20 match in Auckland, where South Africa won by 78 runs. South African cricketers scored 185; however, they limited the Kiwis to 107, with massive support from Imran Tahir, who claimed 5 crucial wickets.
- 2023-2024 New Zealand v South Africa: The two-match Test series concluded in favor of New Zealand as they won both games, first by 281 runs, and second by 7 wickets. The Kiwis scored 511 & 179 d in the first match, while they restricted the Proteas to 162 & 247. In the second game, South Africa posted a total of 242 & 235 in the first and second innings, respectively. The game was won by New Zealand with a response of 211 & 269/3.
- 2025 ICC Champions Trophy: New Zealand and South Africa’s face-off in the 2nd Semi-Final of the 2025 Champions Trophy was energetic, as the winner would be competing with India in the final to claim the title. New Zealand won the game by 50 runs, thanks to the young talent Rachin Ravindra, who scored 108, with unwavering support from Kane Williamson (102). Mitchell Santner took 3 wickets, dismissing Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, and Heinrich Klaasen. Nevertheless, David Miller’s run chase of 100 not out for the Proteas is historic in the New Zealand vs South Africa cricket rivalry.
Since the beginning of the New Zealand National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team timeline, South Africa has had an advantage over New Zealand. Despite a prolonged suspension from international cricket, South Africa has demonstrated their skill in the game. New Zealand, on the other hand, from being an underdog in Tests, has established itself as a cricket powerhouse, especially in ODIs and Tests. The upcoming matches of the New Zealand vs South Africa rivalry are anticipated to be intense, thrilling, and closely contested, showcasing the skills and determination of both teams as they battle for supremacy on the field
