Overview
- South Africa won the opener at Bay Oval by seven wickets, chasing 92 in 16.4 overs with 20 balls to spare.
- New Zealand were dismissed for 91 in 14.3 overs, with Jimmy Neesham top-scoring on 26 as captain Mitchell Santner returned 1-8 from four overs.
- Nineteen-year-old debutant Nqobani Mokoena took 3-26 and was named Player of the Match.
- Gerald Coetzee (2-14), Ottneil Baartman (2-22) and captain Keshav Maharaj (2-25) shared key wickets, while Connor Esterhuizen anchored the chase with 45 not out as Dian Forrester finished 16 not out.
- Four Proteas debuted — Connor Esterhuizen, Rubin Hermann, Dian Forrester and Nqobani Mokoena — as New Zealand fielded a side missing eight World Cup squad members due to IPL/PSL commitments, with the second T20I in Hamilton on March 17.