Cricket Betting Tips For 2026 - New Zealand vs South Africa (Game 1)

It’s Game 1 of a five-game series, and New Zealand and South Africa have recently played each other twice in the T20 World Cup. We review all the key stats and data you need to know, and offer up our best cricket betting tips.

After the thrills and spills of the T20 World Cup, South Africa comes to town and will play the Black Caps in five different venues around New Zealand. Can South Africa avenge their Semi-Final loss to the Black Caps in the World Cup? We review the recent performances of both teams, head-to-head clashes, and more. So, make sure BettingTop10 is your go-to place for all your cricket betting tips this series!

Odds thanks to BetandPlay (accurate at time of publication).

New Zealand

New Zealand will be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the World Cup Final to India. Playing at home again will certainly help their chances. A lot of the players in the World Cup squad are being rested for this game, but Mitchell Santner remains in the squad and will continue to lead New Zealand. 

The likes of Tom Latham and Tim Robinson will return. Latham makes his return to the squad after three years, and he has been performing well in the Super Smash. Robinson has scored 561 runs in 24 T20Is played across the last two years.

New Zealand have a lot of batting all-rounders in the squad that can perform if the top order fails to fire. Josh Clarkson, Bevon Jacobs, Nick Kelly, and James Neesham are all quality all-rounders for the Black Caps. Even though we are seeing a lot of the World Cup players rested, this still shapes up to be a high-quality team.

South Africa

South Africa was looking almost unbeatable in the World Cup. Well, until they ran into New Zealand in the Semi-Final, that is! Not many people gave New Zealand a chance in that game, but South Africa were comprehensively beaten. Like New Zealand, South Africa will be resting a lot of their players from that World Cup squad.

George Linde and Keshav Maharaj look set to be the only two players from the World Cup squad who will line up in this game. A lot of pressure will be placed on Maharaj to lead the bowling attack. Maharaj picked up five wickets in six games throughout the World Cup.

Keep an eye on Ottneil Baartman with the ball, though. He picked up 20 wickets in nine games in the SA20 competition and was the leading wicket-taker. With the bat, Tony de Zorzi looks set to open with debutant Connor Esterhuizen. Zorzi has 40 runs in 2 T20Is, while Esterhuizen scored 175 runs in 8 innings in the SA20 competition.

In T20Is, New Zealand have won four of the last five games against South Africa, with their Semi-Final win in the World Cup being one of the most convincing wins I’ve seen in recent years. New Zealand lost to India in the World Cup Final in their last clash. Meanwhile, South Africa’s last game was their loss to New Zealand in the World Cup Semi-Final.

The most vital trends that you should be aware of leading into this match: 

• The average first innings score at the Bay Oval is 155.
• In 24 T20Is at the Bay Oval, the team batting first has won 15 times.
• Black Caps captain, Mitchell Santner, has 120 runs and 3 wickets in his last eight games.

While we won’t see all the star World Cup players in this clash, it still sets up to be a key game. The depth of New Zealand’s team will be on full display, and their arsenal of all-rounders could be the key factor in this game. New Zealand looks like a more well-rounded squad, with Santner leading from the front.

Coupled with the fact that New Zealand are playing at home, I think they can put the heartbreak of the World Cup Final loss behind them and get the win. South Africa still has the scar tissue of their comprehensive loss to New Zealand just a couple of weeks ago. This should be a fairly easy win for the Black Caps.

Game 1 of the series with New Zealand hosting South Africa is set up to be an interesting clash. Will there be a hangover from the World Cup? All will be revealed soon! New Zealand seem to be the more balanced side, and their World Cup captain remains in the squad. I’ll be taking New Zealand to get the win at home. Before placing your bets, make sure you check for any betting bonuses.