Eight World Cup players in Black Caps v Sth Africa
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Michell Santner and seven of his ICC T20 World Cup Black Caps squad have been included in an extended squad to face South Africa in T20I series, which gets underway at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga on Sunday.
The five-match series will be played as double-header game-days alongside the White Ferns and South Africa women’s T20I series - allowing Kiwi fans the chance to watch all four teams play on the same day.
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Black Caps players and staff arriving home to New Zealand over the next couple of days, two squads have effectively been selected for the series to help manage workloads following Monday morning’s World Cup final's defeat to India in Ahmedabad.
Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson will join Santner in the squad for the first three games, while Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi are available the entire series after comparatively lighter workloads during the T20 World Cup campaign.
Following the series opener at Bay Oval on Sunday, the double-headers swiftly shift to Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday and onto Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, March 20.
Top order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly are in line to make their T20I debuts during the series, as is Central Districts spinner Jayden Lennox, with Clarke and Lennox selected for games four and five - in Wellington on Sunday March 22 and in Christchurch on Wednesday March 25, respectively.
Clarke’s call-up follows a break-out Super Smash season where the 26-year-old topped the competition run-scoring charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century, as his Northern Brave side claimed the T20 domestic title.
"Katene is someone we've been keeping an eye on for a while now and so it was great to see him shoot the lights out in the Super Smash and force his way into his first BLACKCAPS squad," said selector Gavin Larsen.
"He's an explosive player who possess plenty of power and a variety of shots. He’s shown destructive ability inside the power play, but also crucially the ability to bat deep in an innings too."
Lennox’s first inclusion in a T20 squad follows his successful ODI debut series against India in January where he claimed 3-84 from his 20 overs against the formidable home batting line-up.
Kelly’s been a consistent performer for the Wellington Firebirds across the formats in recent years and earns his maiden T20 call-up off the back of his ODI debut series against Pakistan at home last April.
Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson get their chance to impress after being selected for the full five-game series, with Clarkson back in the side for the first time since playing eight T20Is in 2024.
Tom Latham, who was the top run-scorer for the Canterbury Kings in the Super Smash, makes his return to the national T20 set-up as a wicket-keeper-batsman and will also take over the captaincy reigns from Santner for the final two matches.
"Tom's selection comes off the back of a strong Super Smash season at the top of the order for the Kings," Larsen said.
"He'll bring all his quality and experience, but as important is his leadership - which we are also likely to call on in the upcoming white-ball tour to Bangladesh in April."
With Conway departing after three matches, Central Stags gloveman Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the end of the series having last played for New Zealand in 2023.
Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert will miss the series to rest and freshen up after India, alongside Matt Henry who will also take some time to spend with his new baby.
Black Caps T20 squad v South Africa
Mitchell Santner (c) (1-3)
Katene Clarke* (4-5)
Josh Clarkson
Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5)
Devon Conway (wk) (1-3)
Lockie Ferguson (2-3)
Zak Foulkes
Bevon Jacobs
Kyle Jamieson
Nick Kelly*
Tom Latham (wk) (c - 4-5)
Jayden Lennox* (4-5)
Cole McConchie
Jimmy Neesham
Tim Robinson
Ben Sears
Nathan Smith
Ish Sodhi
*Potential T20I debut
Michael Bracewell (calf), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O'Rourke (back) and Blair Tickner (ankle) were not considered for the series due to injury.
The team's assemble in Mount Maunganui this Thursday.
The next ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in October-November 2028.
New Zealand v South Africa – T20I Doubleheaders Schedule – 2.45pm (women) & 7.15pm (men)
1st T20Is, Bay Oval, Tauranga, Sunday, 15 March
2nd T20Is, Seddon Park, Hamilton, Tuesday, 17 March
3rd T20Is, Eden Park, Auckland, Friday, 20 March
4th T20Is, Hnry Stadium, Wellington, Sunday, 22 March
5th T20Is, Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Wednesday, 25 March
