\u201cIt was a perfect response to two disappointing losses in a row,\u201d says Captain Maharaj
\n WELLINGTON
\nSouth Africa\u2019s spinners played a decisive role as the tourists won the fourth Twenty20 international against New Zealand by 19 runs on Sunday to square the five-match series 2-2.
\nNew Zealand were well placed to clinch the series midway through their chase in Wellington after the Proteas scored 164-5.
\nHowever, from 88-3 after 10 overs, they lost wickets in rapid succession to be all out for 145 off 18.5 overs.
\nIt sends the series, played between weakened sides from both countries, to a decider in Christchurch on Wednesday.
\nThe match swung in favour of South Africa when spinners Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen turned the screws through the middle stages of the chase.
\nCaptain Maharaj is comfortably the most experienced member of an experimental tour squad and proved hard to score from as he took 2-22 off four overs.
\nSubrayen, playing his first T20 international, bowled Dane Cleaver for 26 to spark New Zealand\u2019s middle order crumble and finished with 2-13 off three overs.
\nMaharaj said his side played with more energy than in defeats in Hamilton and Auckland.
\n\u201cIt was a perfect response to two disappointing losses in a row,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cComing into this game, you could see there was a little bit more energy and hunger.
\n\u201cWe are a young team, finding our way in international cricket so it takes a little bit of time.\u201d
\nOpener Tim Robinson top-scored with 32 for New Zealand while Proteas paceman Gerald Coetzee took 3-31.
\nSouth Africa\u2019s innings were dominated by 57 off 36 balls from wicketkeeper Connor Esterhuizen.
\nHe was dismissed by a spectacular outfield catch from Katene Clarke, on his international debut, off Ben Sears\u2019 bowling.
\nPaceman Sears impressed, taking 1-22 off four overs, which included conceding just two runs off the last over of the innings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt was a perfect response to two disappointing losses in a row,\u201d says Captain Maharaj WELLINGTON South Africa\u2019s spinners played a decisive role as the tourists won the fourth Twenty20 international against New Zealand by 19 runs on Sunday to square the five-match series 2-2. New Zealand were well placed to clinch the series midway […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":537787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-537773","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n