South Africa batter Connor Esterhuizen described leading his side to victory in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Wellington as a dream come true. Esterhuizen’s 57* from 36 deliveries at Sky Stadium helped the Proteas to a 19-run victory over the Black Caps on Sunday. The right-hander made an immediate impact in his fourth international appearance.
Esterhuizen smashed seven fours and three sixes. South Africa levelled the five-match series against New Zealand at 2-2. The victory left the top-order performer living out a childhood dream.
Esterhuizen’s Dream Performance
Esterhuizen said it was a dream come true to contribute to a win for his country. He noted it was special to play in front of his mother, who made a lot of sacrifices. Esterhuizen said being able to perform for his country in front of her was the ultimate dream.
Esterhuizen revealed he nearly gave up cricket towards the start of the decade. This was despite scoring plenty of runs for St John’s College in Johannesburg.
“After not making many provincial teams before Covid or anything like that, I wasn’t sure if cricket was for me,” Esterhuizen said.
He added that Covid gave him a break and allowed him to come back through club and academy cricket. Esterhuizen said he got his shot at the Lions and bided his time. “A couple of performances and I’m here, which is awesome.”
Series Decider in Christchurch
Esterhuizen’s heroics in Wellington mean the five-match series against the Kiwis remains up for grabs. The winner-takes-all series decider will be in Christchurch on Wednesday.
- South Africa levelled the series 2-2.
- Esterhuizen scored his maiden half-century.
- The final T20I is in Christchurch.
While Esterhuizen acknowledged South Africa’s semi-final loss to the Black Caps at the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was disappointing, he believes a series victory over New Zealand would be a major boost for his side.
“It’s nice to go into the fifth T20I where there’s everything to play for,” Esterhuizen added. “It’s a nice big game.