TheT20 World Cup2026 semifinal match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata has turned into an exciting contest between South Africa and New Zealand. Both teams are giving their best to qualify for the final. The knockout match has made every ball very important. New Zealand’s bowlers have kept the South African batters under constant pressure.

South Africa struggled from the very beginning as New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first. The top order of South Africa struggled against the disciplined bowling of New Zealand. The wickets fell very quickly, and the middle order had to take responsibility to take the innings forward. Dewald Brevis scored 34 steady runs, while Aiden Markram scored 18 runs for South Africa.

However, the Proteas still needed to score heavily to reach a competitive total. The Kiwi bowlers didn’t allow the Proteas to score freely. Tight lines and intelligent variations made it hard for the Proteas to gain momentum. The match was at a crucial juncture in the last overs when another crucial wicket was lost.

Lockie Ferguson’s Brilliant Delivery Removes Tristan Stubbs

The turning point in the match came in the 19th over, and Lockie Ferguson bowled a superb ball to dismiss Tristan Stubbs. Ferguson bowled from around the wicket and bowled a very smart leg-cutter at 128.5 kph. The ball pitched outside the leg stump and swung sharply across the batter. Stubbs was completely surprised by the change in pace and movement.

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Stubbs, who had played a fighting knock of 29 runs from 24 balls with two fours and one six, attempted an aggressive shot over mid-wicket. He cleared his front leg early to attack the delivery. However, he mistimed the shot badly and missed the ball. The delivery brushed his back thigh before crashing into the stumps.

Ferguson celebrated the important breakthrough as New Zealand tightened their grip on the match. The New Zealand bowling unit were very disciplined in the innings. With Ferguson’s wicket, Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie also bowled well to contain South Africa, getting crucial wickets and keep the pressure on.

As of writing, New Zealand have begun their chase with Tim Seifert and Finn Allen at the crease after South Africa set the target in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final.