ZIM vs NZ

That'll be all then from this game but the final of this tri-series between New Zealand and South Africa is well under 48 hours away. Do join us on Saturday (July 26) for our coverage of that game right here on Sportskeeda with the first ball to be bowled at 1 PM local time (4:30 PM IST). Until then, do keep yourselves updated with all the other cricketing action from around the world including the ongoing Manchester Test between England and India by switching tabs and following it all on this very platform. For now, this is the duo of Bidipto Datta and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for tuning in - buh-bye and take care!

Mitchell Santner must be liking this feeling of coming in last in these post-match interviews as the winning captain. He'll hope there's one more such instance come the final on Saturday. New Zealand have maintained a clean slate so far and they'll look forward to one more solid performance. As for Zimbabwe, it's been a sorry series. Lots of learnings but they have a fair bit to put right before the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. Of course, they have a challenging Test series coming up as well against the Blackcaps and they'd surely want to turn up a lot better for that.

Mitchell Santner (New Zealand captain): "I think the way we set it up with the bat (stood out). When you get a 100-run partnership it puts you in a good position. The way Rachin and Seifert went about was really good on a tricky wicket. Throughout the series we've done a lot of good stuff. Was nice to put a score on the board batting first whether it's the way to go in the final or not. Guys putting their hands up can be a bit of a selection headache at times (grins). We know we've got another massive game in a couple of days' time. It's about preparing and getting ready. We know what South Africa offer and what the pitch does. It's about executing on the day. The way Ish bowled especially in the powerplay, it was a new role for him, he was outstanding. If you can take wickets in the powerplay it can put you in a pretty good position. Ish did that today and he was outstanding."

Ish Sodhi (Player of the Match, 4/12 in 4 overs): "Great team win for New Zealand! It's a slightly new role for me to bowl so soon, but, it's been a long career, so, I'm excited for it. It helped Santner and Bracewell in a way to bowl slightly pressure-free. It was skidding in when held cross-seam. Would have loved a fifer, but can't get too greedy here!" 

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe captain): "I think the wicket was much better today. We keep putting ourselves under pressure though! We dropped catches and they proved costly. Both Tim Seifert and Michael Bracewell hurt us. Even if it is a dead rubber, it is there for us to win, the guys need to realize this. We will have some of the seniors back for the Test matches, but as for the young guys in this format, it will take time. I as captain have to take responsibility for that as well. Hoping for a better outing in the Tests." 

4:19 PM local time (7:49 PM IST): New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by 60 runs!

Tim Seifert 75 (45) | Ish Sodhi 4/12 (4)
Tony Munyonga 40 (30) | Richard Ngarava 4/34 (4)

A comprehensive win yet again for New Zealand! Thorough dominance with the bat and ball and of course, excellent as ever on the field! It was set up by a splendid partnership between Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra as they plundered 190 in the first dig after electing to bat. It was a score that always felt too many for Zimbabwe to get and as it turned out, that was indeed the case.

Dion Myers had other ideas early on, starting with two boundaries off the first two balls of the innings as he came out taking the attack to Matt Henry. It was but an aberration, however, as Ish Sodhi wreaked havoc thereafter, taking the ball in the powerplay and dismantling the Zimbabwean top-order, snaring three wickets across his first two overs. Henry returned to remove skipper Sikandar Raza and that sealed the deal for all practical purposes.

Wickets then kept falling at regular intervals even as Tony Munyonga had some fun and unleashed some terrific shots. Skipper Mitchell Santner bore the brunt of it and went at 10 runs an over - a rare sight but one way of looking at it is that he's had his off day out of the way before the final. The seamers kept chipping away though with Zakary Foulkes nailing his yorkers and William O'Rourke using his change-ups to good effect as well. Sodhi was the star though, attacking the stumps and showing immaculate control as he returned to prize out Munyonga as well which turned out to be his 150th T20I scalp.

In the end, a run out was as fitting an end as it could have gotten for Zimbabwe, who simply did not show up over these four games. They finish rock bottom on the table without a point to show for themselves and it's stating the bleeding obvious when we say that the two most deserving sides - New Zealand and South Africa - fittingly find themselves in the final to be played here on Saturday. Stick around for the presentation...

Nothing beyond the crease and that's that! Sums up a tough game and an even tougher series for Zimbabwe but New Zealand complete a 60-run win to maintain their perfect record in this tri-series!

18.5 Zakary Foulkes to Tinotenda Maposa, Oh! Good length and really slow on the leg-stump line. Maposa gets a glove on it with the attempted pull shot and runs. But his partner is slow off the blocks. Meanwhile, Seifert runs in to collect the ball and throws the stumps with with an underhand flick. The third umpire checks and finds that Gwandu is short of the crease! RUN OUT! And New Zealand win comprehensively! 

18.4 Zakary Foulkes to Tinotenda Maposa, really full outside off-stump. The squirt towards third man from deep in the crease does not find any connection. 

18.1 Zakary Foulkes to Trevor Gwandu, full and WIDE outside the line of off-stump. Gwandu leaves it alone on line and gets the extra run for his team. 

We go again for another over at least. Henry's come back really well after going for 14 in his first. He is the leading wicket-taker in this tri-series and needless to say, he will have a huge role to play if New Zealand are to win the final.

17.6 Matt Henry to Tinotenda Maposa, FREE HIT! Short and slow around off. Butchered off the back foot but off the cue end of the bat to wide long-on for a brace. 

It would have been quite an absurd end to the game had Maposa not made his ground and been dismissed off a no ball. But he's still there to face the free hit...