Sport|ICC Men's T20 World CupSouth Africa’s Markram mauls New Zealand in seven-wicket T20 World Cup winCaptain Aiden Markram hits an unbeaten 86 in seven-wicket defeat of New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

South Africa vs. New Zealand: Twenty20 World Cup Group D Match

South Africa is on the verge of advancing to the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after a significant seven-wicket victory over New Zealand, marking their third consecutive win in Group D. This victory was led by captain Aiden Markram, who scored an unbeaten 86 off 44 balls, the highest by a South African captain in the tournament's history.

New Zealand, playing on Saturday, recorded their first loss of the campaign after setting a target of 175-7. South Africa's Marco Jansen was instrumental with the ball, taking four wickets for 40 runs.

South Africa elected to bowl first at Ahmedabad, India. Jansen's performance was pivotal as he dismantled New Zealand's top order by the seventh over. Despite efforts from Finn Allen (31 off 17 balls) and a 74-run partnership between Mark Chapman (48) and Daryl Mitchell (32), New Zealand could only manage a total of 175-7, thanks to a late unbeaten 23 from James Neesham.

In response, South Africa, led by Markram, quickly accumulated 62 runs in the first four overs. Markram's aggressive play included hitting four sixes and eight boundaries, reaching his half-century in just 19 balls. Despite losing Quinton de Kock (20) and Ryan Rickelton (21), South Africa maintained their momentum, requiring only 28 runs off the final 30 balls.

David Miller contributed an unbeaten 24, securing the winning runs with a shot over mid-wicket.

South Africa will face the United Arab Emirates on Wed, Oct 11, 2023. New Zealand is scheduled to play against Canada on Tue, Oct 10, 2023.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.