After one of the most dramatic Cricket World Cup semifinal matches in memory, South Africa and New Zealand go back at it five months later, and fans can watch the First T20 International match between the two rivals live online. But much has changed since that fateful March 23, 50-over showdown when New Zealand stopped South Africa from advancing to the World Cup final with a six on the final ball by Grant Elliot off a delivery by South Africa’s greatest fast bowler, Dale Steyn.
Gone is New Zealand Captain Brendon McCullum , replaced by Kane Williamson. The team’s two top bowlers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, are also sitting out the Africa tour — which began with a successful stop in Zimbabwe — as are batsmen Corey Anderson, who has not recovered from an injury incurred in New Zealand’s tour of England in June, and Ross Taylor who was injured in the Zimbabwe leg of the Africa tour.
To find out how to watch the South Africa vs. New Zealand First T20 International match live online, see the information at the bottom of this article. First ball is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban, South Africa — noon United States Eastern Time, 9 a.m. Pacific — on Friday, August 14.
South Africa will be missing two of its World Cup stars as well, as wicket keeper Quentin de Kock has been dropped from the side, and all-rounder J.P. Duminy has been released from his commitment to be with his wife as she gives birth to the couple’s latest child.
In a surprise move, A.B. de Villiers — one of the world’s best batsmen — will serve as wicket-keeper for the pair of T20 matches against New Zealand, a series that both teams are treating as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup beginning on March 11, 2016 in India.
Can the new-look New Zealand side continue to improve on its African tour? Or will South Africa take revenge for their crushing, last-ball loss in the Cricket World Cup semifinal? To find out, watch the South Africa vs. New Zealand cricket First T20 International match live online in the United States using one of several options. Willow TV, which is available via this YouTube link with a monthly subscription fee, as well as on Willow TV’s own site, accessible by clicking here, will carry a United States feed of the match.
Some promotional offers make it possible to watch Willow TV legally online free for a limited period of time, such as the offer at this link — or the one-month free trial of Sling TV’s International Sports Package, which includes the all-cricket channel. Information on that deal can be found at this link.
The India-based TEN Sports network provides a streaming link here for the First South Africa vs. New Zealand T20I. Viewers with access to Pakistan internet sites can watch the South Africa vs. New Zealand First T20 match live online via Geo Super TV by clicking here , while CricHD will stream the South Africa vs. New Zealand game live online at this site .
[Image: Hannah Peters/Getty Images]
