If you had begun to think that T20 cricket was becoming a bit predictable, then this is for you. In the heart-in-your-mouth finish that had supporters on the verge of passing out (and probably checking their pulse), New Zealand held their nerve to narrowly defeat South Africa by three runs in the final of the Zimbabwe Twenty20 Tri-Series 2025. Dewald Brevis did all he could to channel AB de Villiers at his best, but two ridiculous catches in the final over – and a clutch slower ball from Matt Henry – meant the Black Caps maintained their unbeaten status and lifted the trophy.
Spin’s Misfire and the Power of Comebacks
Spinners were meant to be New Zealand’s X-Factor post-Powerplay. Instead, they were more an accident waiting to happen—like a spilled bottle of chili oil. Santner and Bracewell bowled five wides between them in two overs and leaked runs, which gave South Africa the momentum at a time New Zealand should have been tightening the screws.
But New Zealand has come back as a textbook: take one wicket, take five. Pretorius had just brought up a classy fifty when he was stumped charging Bracewell. From 96/0, South Africa stumbled to 139/4 by the 16th over. It was that collapse that kept New Zealand barely in the game and allowed them to mount a final charge with the ball—even if it was going down to the last ball.
Brevis Blasts and the Final Over Rollercoaster
Momentum needed a spark, and Dewald Brevis—‘Baby AB’—answered the call. Back-to-back 15-run overs left the Proteas needing only 7 off the last six balls, and the momentum was firmly with the dugouts. However, what followed was classic T20 madness. Brevis got out, a brilliant snatch catch from Bracewell at Cow Corner. Then a drop. And just like that, George Linde was gone—courtesy of a diving Mitchell at the long-on boundary pulling off a stunner. It came down to four off one. Muthusamy missed. Henry roared. The Kiwis went nuts.
This wasn’t about hitting sixes or dot balls. Ultimately, it was all about holding your nerve when it mattered most. New Zealand showed they had it when it mattered. After two big overs, they didn’t panic – they followed their plans and held their catches, which was literal!
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A Batting Blueprint and What Lies Ahead
Let’s not forget how all this began – the bat. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra played two lovely 47s with similar timing and tempo. The 180-5 was not entirely boundary-laden; it was also apart from smart running and South Africa’s inability to control extra deliveries – there were 18 extras, and 10 were wides in that aggregate.
Even in the slog overs, and boundaries weren’t flowing, New Zealand were ticking over the runs. It wasn’t exciting – but it was effective – and a valuable lesson for teams to learn who are in preparation mode for the exacting encounters of the T20 World Cup, where there are 5-10 extra runs that will represent gold dust.
This tri-series final had everything: poise under pressure, individual brilliance, and a cliffhanger in every over. The calm with which New Zealand finished under duress tells a lot—the Kiwis are not just good, they are clutch.
So, the question then is this: are they quietly building towards something special for bigger tournaments, or did the Kiwis just deplete all their luck tokens in that final? Either way, this game and that finish is not one that the fans will forget any time soon.
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