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The South Africa cricket team toured New Zealand in February 2024 to play two Test matches.[1][2] The Test matches formed part of 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship.[3]
| South African cricket team in New Zealand in 2023–24 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 | ||
| New Zealand | South Africa | ||
| Dates | 4 – 17 February 2024 | ||
| Captains | Tim Southee | Neil Brand | |
| Test series | |||
| Result | New Zealand won the 2-match series 2–0 | ||
| Most runs | Kane Williamson (403) | David Bedingham (268) | |
| Most wickets | William O’Rourke (9) |
Neil Brand (8) Dane Piedt (8) | |
| Player of the series | Kane Williamson (NZ) | ||
The series was contested for the Tangiwai Shield.[4] The trophy commemorated the tragic events of 1953,[5] when 151 people on the train from Wellington to Auckland on Christmas eve - including Nerissa Love, the fiancé of New Zealand fast bowler Bob Blair - lost their lives in the rail disaster.[6] The disaster coincided with the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa,[7] where Bob Blair was playing the match.[8]
Going into the series, South Africa had never lost a Test series against New Zealand,[9] in 17 meetings.[10]
New Zealand won the first Test by 281 runs.[11] New Zealand also won the second Test by 7 wickets,[12] and went on to win the series 2–0.[13] It was the first time New Zealand won a Test series against South Africa.[14]
In December 2023, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced an understrength Test team for the tour, composed of players with little or no Test cricket experience, in order to allow their best players to remain in South Africa to compete in the SA20 (a domestic Twenty20 franchise tournament). The decision was widely criticised.[17][18] Former Australian captain Steve Waugh was particularly critical, stating his opinion that Test cricket was in danger of no longer being the highest format of the game as the best players were incentivised to play Twenty20 because of better pay.[19]
On 16 January 2024, Edward Moore was added to South Africa's squad.[20]
New Zealand's William O'Rourke was only selected for the second Test.[21]
On 8 February 2024, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell was ruled out of the second Test due to an injury.[22]
1st Test
4–7 February 2024 Scorecard |
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- South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
- Neil Brand, Ruan de Swardt, Clyde Fortuin, Edward Moore, Tshepo Moreki and Raynard van Tonder (SA) all made their Test debuts.
- Neil Brand captained South Africa for the first time in Tests.[23]
- Tshepo Moreki (SA) became the 24th cricketer to take a wicket with his first ball in his first Test.[24]
- Kane Williamson (NZ) scored his 30th and 31st centuries in Tests.[25][26] He became the fifth New Zealand player to score centuries in both innings of a Test match.[27]
- Rachin Ravindra (NZ) scored his first hundred and first double hundred in Tests.[28][29]
- Rachin Ravindra's score of 240 was the highest individual score as a maiden test hundred for New Zealand.[30]
- Neil Brand (SA) became the 25th South African to take five wickets on Test debut.[31] His 6/119 were the best figures for a captain in his debut Test,[32] and for a South African spinner on his Test debut.[33]
- World Test Championship points: New Zealand 12, South Africa 0
2nd Test
13–16 February 2024 Scorecard |
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- South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.
- William O'Rourke (NZ) and Shaun von Berg (SA) both made their Test debuts.
- David Bedingham (SA) scored his first century in Tests.[34]
- William O'Rourke (NZ) became the tenth New Zealand player to take a five–wicket haul on Test debut. His match figures of 9/93 were the best for a New Zealand bowler on his Test debut.[35]
- New Zealand won their first ever Test series against South Africa.
- World Test Championship points: New Zealand 12, South Africa 0
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