The timeline of the matches played between the South Africa National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team shows the historical record of one of the longest-running competitive rivalries in international cricket across all three forms of the game (Test, ODI & T20I).
The two sides have produced some of the most exciting cricket since they first met internationally and during key moments of various ICC tournaments. One such event is the 2015 Cricket World Cup semi-final; another is the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final. Additionally, there was a five match T20I series held in New Zealand which resulted in South Africa winning 3-2.
South Africa National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline: Quick Facts
| Quick Facts | Details |
| Teams | South Africa vs New Zealand |
| First Test Match | 27 February 1932 |
| First ODI Match | 29 February 1992 |
| First T20I Match | 21 October 2005 |
| First Test Match Venue | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| First ODI Match Venue | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Cricket Formats | Test, ODI and T20I |
| Total Test Matches | 49 |
| South Africa Test Wins | 26 |
| New Zealand Test Wins | 7 |
| Total ODI Matches | 74 |
| South Africa ODI Wins | 42 |
| New Zealand ODI Wins | 27 |
| Total T20I Matches | 25 |
| South Africa T20I Wins | 15 |
| New Zealand T20I Wins | 10 |
| Famous Encounter | 2015 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final |
| 2026 T20 World Cup Semi-Final Winner | New Zealand |
| 2026 T20I Series Winner | South Africa (3–2) |
| Latest T20I Match | 25 March 2026 |
| Latest T20I Match Venue | Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
Also Read : India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline
South Africa vs New Zealand Test Match Timeline
First Test Meeting
On February 27th, 1932, the first-ever test match between South Africa and New Zealand was contested in Christchurch, New Zealand. The historic first test match resulted in a win for South Africa over New Zealand, with the former team winning the match by an innings and 12 runs. This result was achieved through South Africa’s first innings score of 451. In addition to winning the opening test match, South Africa defeated New Zealand in the second test match of the series by eight wickets. Consequently, South Africa completed a 2-0 series victory against New Zealand.
Memorable Test Series
The two teams have had many competitive Test Series throughout the course of their histories. In 1961-62 when they competed in South Africa, the series was drawn with a 2-2 result. Similarly, in 2003-04 when they played each other in New Zealand, the series was again drawn with a 1-1 result. In February 2022, New Zealand won the first Test match by an innings and 276 runs, however, South Africa bounced back and defeated New Zealand in the second Test match by 198 runs.
Recent Test Encounters
The most recent Test series that they participated in was held in New Zealand during February 2024. New Zealand won each of the two matches, winning the first Test by 281 runs at Mount Maunganui and the second by seven wickets at Hamilton. Therefore, New Zealand won the Test series 2-0.
South Africa vs New Zealand ODI Match Timeline
First ODI Meeting
South Africa played against New Zealand for the first time in an ODI game on February 29th, 1992 as part of the Benson & Hedges World Cup. The game took place at Eden Park in Auckland. New Zealand won that game by 7 wickets. That game was the start of the ODI rivalry between these two countries and they have had several bilateral series and World Cup games since then.
2015 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final
On March 24, 2015 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand hosted South Africa in one of the best games of the rivalry. South Africa batted first and posted a score of 281/5 in 43 overs. Faf du Plessis led the way with 82 runs while AB de Villiers was left stranded at 65. New Zealand then had to chase down a modified total, which they did by posting a score of 299/6 in 42.5 overs. They won the game by four wickets using the DLS method. Grant Elliott was instrumental in the exciting end to the match.
Memorable ODI Matches
The other major confrontation took place at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. South Africa scored 357 runs with 4 wickets lost in their match against New Zealand, which resulted in a very large 190 run win for South Africa. Then in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy semifinal, New Zealand beat South Africa again. This time they beat South Africa by 50 runs, scoring 362 runs and losing 6 wickets.
Latest ODI Encounters
The 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final remains an important recent ODI meeting between the sides. New Zealand’s batting performance helped them reach the final, while South Africa were unable to chase the challenging target. Their next ODI meeting will add another chapter to this competitive rivalry.
South Africa vs New Zealand T20I Match Timeline
First T20I Meeting
The inaugural T20 International between South Africa and New Zealand took place on October 21st, 2005 at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. With a five-wicket win, New Zealand was able to become the first side to beat South Africa in their international T20 series..
T20 World Cup Encounters
These two sides have met on numerous occasions in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In the first round of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, South Africa beat New Zealand by seven wickets. New Zealand took their revenge against South Africa when they beat them in the semi-finals on 4 March 2026 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
In response to South Africa’s score of 169/8, New Zealand easily achieved the total required to win the match with 173/1 in a short period of time (12.5 overs). Therefore, New Zealand defeated South Africa by nine wickets and moved into the championship game.
Memorable T20I Matches
The 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal was a major recent T20I match. New Zealand showed its potential to excel during times of stress through a dominating performance by its batters. On the other hand, South Africa has continued to be competitive in bilateral T20I matches and has won some of the most critical matches against New Zealand.
South Africa vs New Zealand 2026 T20I Series Results Match-by-Match
| Date | Match | Venue | Result |
| 15 March 2026 | 1st T20I | Mount Maunganui | SA won by 7 wickets |
| 17 March 2026 | 2nd T20I | Hamilton | NZ won by 68 runs |
| 20 March 2026 | 3rd T20I | Auckland | NZ won by 8 wickets |
| 22 March 2026 | 4th T20I | Wellington | SA won by 19 runs |
| 25 March 2026 | 5th T20I | Christchurch | SA won by 33 runs |
South Africa vs New Zealand: Most Memorable Matches
In some of the matches played between the two countries there were historic events in international cricket. For instance, the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup were known for the exciting run chase by New Zealand. On the other hand, the 2023 World Cup match was noted for the powerful hitting of South African batsmen.
The rivalry was further enhanced by the 2025 Champions Trophy Semi-Final and the 2026 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. The competition shown through these two matches illustrates how much each team has tested one another during significant International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.
South Africa vs New Zealand: Top Run Scorers and Leading Wicket-Takers
Several international stars have contributed significantly to this rivalry. AB de Villiers and Martin Guptill are among the leading run-scorers, while bowlers such as Kyle Mills, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn have delivered important performances.
| Category | Player | Record |
| Most ODI Runs | AB de Villiers | 991 |
| Most ODI Wickets | Kyle Mills | 29 |
| Most T20I Runs | Martin Guptill | 424 |
| Most T20I Wickets | Morne Morkel | 10 |
South Africa vs New Zealand: World Cup Head-to-Head Record
South Africa and New Zealand have faced each other in several ICC Cricket World Cup tournaments, producing some unforgettable matches. New Zealand have historically held the advantage in ODI World Cup encounters, while South Africa have performed strongly in T20 World Cup meetings.
ODI Cricket World Cup Head-to-Head
| Year | Match Stage | Winner | Result |
| 1992 | Group Stage | New Zealand | Won by 7 wickets |
| 1996 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 5 wickets |
| 1999 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 74 runs |
| 2003 | Group Stage | New Zealand | Won by 9 wickets (DLS) |
| 2007 | Group Stage | New Zealand | Won by 5 wickets |
| 2011 | Quarter-Final | New Zealand | Won by 49 runs |
| 2015 | Semi-Final | New Zealand | Won by 4 wickets (DLS) |
| 2019 | Group Stage | New Zealand | Won by 4 wickets |
| 2023 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 190 runs |
T20 Cricket World Cup Head-to-Head
| Year | Match Stage | Winner | Result |
| 2007 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 6 wickets |
| 2009 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 1 run |
| 2010 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 13 runs |
| 2012 | Super 8 | South Africa | Won by 2 runs |
| 2014 | Super 10 | South Africa | Won by 2 runs |
| 2026 | Group Stage | South Africa | Won by 7 wickets |
| 2026 | Semi-Final | New Zealand | Won by 9 wickets |
South Africa vs New Zealand: Captains and Key Players
| Team | Captain | Key Players |
| South Africa | Aiden Markram | Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen |
| New Zealand | Mitchell Santner | Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra |
South Africa vs New Zealand: Upcoming Matches and Future Fixtures
At the moment, as of 2 November 2026, there are no further confirmed international fixtures between South Africa and New Zealand listed in the South African Cricket Board’s current schedule of international matches. The South African Cricket Board has announced that they will compete against Bangladesh in two international matches throughout November and December 2026. Fans can obtain updates on upcoming New Zealand fixtures by visiting the ICC website and those of each cricket board.
Conclusion
The rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand cricket is a product of many years of intense competition in Test matches, One-Day International (ODI) contests and exciting Twenty20 International (T20I) contests. While South Africa holds the superior head-to-head record, New Zealand has recorded some of the most memorable wins at major events. The two teams’ T20 World Cup semi-final in 2026 and the five-match T20I series provided even more fuel to the fire that exists within this rivalry. It is likely that both teams will continue to compete against each other for many years to come as they participate in international matches.
FAQs
1. When did South Africa and New Zealand first play against each other?
They first played a Test match on 27 February 1932 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
2. Which team has won more matches between South Africa and New Zealand?
South Africa have the stronger overall record, with 26 Test wins, 42 ODI wins and 15 T20I wins in the cited records.
3. Who won the South Africa vs New Zealand T20I series in 2026?
South Africa won the five-match bilateral T20I series 3–2 in March 2026.
4. What was the result of the 2015 World Cup semi-final?
New Zealand defeated South Africa by four wickets using the DLS method at Eden Park.
5. When will South Africa and New Zealand play their next match?
No further confirmed international fixture between the teams is currently listed as of 2 November 2026.
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