Matt Henry picked 7/23 to bowl South Africa out for 95 as New Zealand made a good start in their quest to win a series against the Proteas for the first time.
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New Zealand may be the current ICC World Test Champions, having won the final against India in June 2021. But, their record against South Africa is the stuff of nightmares. In their cricketing history, New Zealand has never won a series in India and South Africa. In 2021, their quest to win a series in India was thwarted with a poor show in Mumbai. Now, in 2022, New Zealand will be aiming to break an even bigger jinx in the form of a Test series win against South Africa.
The rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand is epic in sports. The All Blacks rivalry vs the Springboks is one of the greatest in the world. But, in cricket, the Black Caps have always played second fiddle to the Proteas. But, on day 1 of the Christchurch Test, the Kiwis made a great start to their quest to win against South Africa.
Read – Matt Henry demolishes South Africa with record haul of 7/23 in Christchurch
Matt Henry achieved the joint-third best figures in the history of New Zealand cricket when he took 7/23 to bowl South Africa out for 95. This was the lowest total for the Proteas against the Kiwis in their history. At stumps on day 1, the Blackcaps have taken a 21-run lead, finishing up on 116/3.
New Zealand has won series in England, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Zimbabwe. At home, they have dominated India but their best result has been a 1-1 draw in 1969 in India. They have not won a series in India and their last win was way back in 1988. When it comes to South Africa, their horror story is even worse.
In the 90 years of Test cricket that South Africa and New Zealand have played, the Kiwis have won only four matches. South Africa has won 25. Such is the dominance that the Proteas have never lost a Test series either at home or in New Zealand. The Basin Reserve is a classic case. New Zealand has rarely lost at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. But, South Africa has never lost a Test in Wellington after playing there for 90 years. Here is the breakup of New Zealand’s wins against South Africa.
| Result | Venue | Year |
| Won by 72 runs | Cape Town | 1962 |
| Won by 40 runs | Port Elizabeth | 1962 |
| Won by 137 runs | Johannesburg | 1994 |
| Won by Nine Wickets | Auckland | 2004 |
If one looks at the results closely, then New Zealand has won only one Test at home against South Africa. The remaining Tests have been won in South Africa. But, it has been nearly 18 years since New Zealand last won a Test against the Proteas. In 2004, Chris Martin took a 10-wicket haul as New Zealand beat South Africa on a tour in which they had won the ODI series 5-1.
A New Zealand win against the Proteas will go a long way in ensuring their quest to reach the final of the ICC World Test Championship is maintained.
