Harare, Zimbabwe: New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry defied the odds, executing a bold strategy in the final over to clinch the men’s T20I tri-series title in a thrilling last-ball victory over South Africa. With South Africa needing just seven runs off the final over and six wickets in hand – and Dewald Brevis set on 31 off 14 balls – Henry conceded only three runs and snared two crucial wickets, turning a 93.3% win probability for the Proteas into a dramatic New Zealand triumph.
Henry revealed his clear plan was to “take a bit of risks and don’t go after the yorkers for all six balls.” He explained his rationale: “If you go to yorkers too early and you run two, it’s hard to kind of keep six [balls] out. So, we just tried to be positive and to take an element of risk of the death that doesn’t always come off but that was good.” He emphasized clarity and execution, stating, “Just making sure I was nice and clear at the top of the mark and executing what I wanted to do, and thankfully executed the plans nicely and catches stuck, so that was good.”
Drama and Brilliant Fielding in the Final Over
The final over was not short on drama. On the second ball, Brevis attempted to pull a bouncer over deep midwicket, only for Michael Bracewell to complete a superb juggling catch, shifting momentum back to New Zealand. A ball later, a miscue from Corbin Bosch was grassed by Bracewell, but the missed chance ultimately proved inconsequential. The fifth ball saw another moment of brilliance as Daryl Mitchell covered significant ground from long-on to take an excellent catch, converting a certain boundary into the wicket of George Linde.
Henry praised his fielders, especially Bracewell. “I was hoping he was going to catch it, it was a really good catch,” he said. “When you’ve got Bracewell out there on the boundaries, [he is] one of the better fielders going around. So [I had] a lot of confidence, just hoped that one did his job. These guys, they take more catches than they drop, so I wasn’t as worried [about the dropped catch]. I was more just focused on what I could do.”
Player of the Series Performance
Henry finished the tri-series as the leading wicket-taker with ten wickets, with an impressive six of those coming in the death overs (17-20) at an economy rate of 6.69. His exceptional performance earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
“The key thing is wanting those overs,” Henry remarked about bowling in high-pressure situations. He also acknowledged the contributions of other bowlers like Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes in setting up the close finish.
Henry lauded the tri-series format as invaluable preparation for the T20 World Cup next year, providing opportunities to play high-pressure matches. “We want to play cricket against great sides and under pressure, that’s why we play the game. Today was one of those games,” he stated. He highlighted the importance of focusing on their playing style and continuous improvement as they look towards the upcoming T20 World Cup.
