Devon Conway top-scored for New Zealand with a far from fluent 60 from 49 balls as the home side reached a subdued total 175-6 after being asked to bat first in the second of five T20 Internationals against South Africa at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday.
The left-handed opener played and missed at over a dozen deliveries, mistimed the ball often and was fortunate to see several strokes fall just wide or beyond the grasp of fielders on a slow pitch which did not lend itself to fluent batting.
The hosts reached a scratchy 43-0 in the Power Play before Tom Latham (11) reverse swept Keshav Maharaj to backward point in the seventh over and Tim Robinson (1) also fell to the turn and bounce of fellow left armer George Linde.
Conway did manage five fours and a couple of slog-swept sixes before edging a slower ball from Wiaan Mulder (2-0-14-2) to ‘keeper Connor Esterhuizen and Nick Kelly (21) was bowled by another slow off-cutter from Mulder.
Captain Mitchell Santner (20 from 14 balls) attempted to accelerate the pedestrian tempo before a beauty from Ottneil Baartman (1-31) clipped the top of middle stump between bat and pad but Jimmy Neesham’s struggle to eight from 11 balls ended when a chased a wide ball from Gerald Coetzee (4-0-28-1) to Esterhuizen.
Cole McConchie (18* from 12) finally upped the tempo but the entire complexion of the innings was changed in the final over when allrounder Josh Clarkson smashed Maharaj for 24 runs in a blistering knock of 26* from nine balls with a pair of fours and sixes.
Allrounder Mulder was included in the XI and will open the batting in place of Jordan Hermann who injured a hamstring during the first match.
South Africa hold a 1-0 lead in the series following a seven-wicket victory in the first match in Mount Maunganui during which they dismissed the hosts for just 91.
NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wkt), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Mitch Santner (captain), Jimmy Neesham, Cole McConchie, Josh Clarkson, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson.
SOUTH AFRICA: Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wkt), Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman