Connor Esterhuizen's "pinch-me moment" leads South Africa to T20I series win

The 24-year-old Esterhuizen reflected on his stellar performances, his growth as a player, and the joy of playing for his country after the Proteas won the fifth and final T20I by 33 runs and also the high-voltage series 3-2.

The wicketkeeper-batter played a fantastic knock of 75 runs off 33 deliveries, including five fours and five sixes that helped the Proteas post a strong total.

The 24-year-old was the highest run-getter in the five-match T20I series. The keeper-batter smashed 125 runs in four matches at an average of 41.67. The 24-year-old notched up two half-centuries.

"I think the nice thing was I got to play with freedom and express myself," Esterhuizen said, describing his approach to the series.

He elaborated on the strategy behind his innings, revealing, "In my mind, the openers assessed and said 160 would be competitive, and Forrester and I thought 180 would be a good score, and we ended up with 187."

Esterhuizen acknowledged the challenges of the first match but credited his adaptability. "From the first match, it was a bit of a graft, and then you have to play some dots. Then it was a bit more free-flowing, and I got into strong positions, and that sets you in good stead." His shift to a more free-flowing style helped South Africa post a challenging total, leading to their success in the series.

When discussing his growth as a cricketer, Esterhuizen emphasised how his experience in longer formats like four-day cricket has benefited his T20 game. "Absolutely [four-day cricket] helps playing T20 cricket. Means everything, and it's a pinch-me moment to play for your country. Special feeling and humbling," he said.

The all-rounder also shared his love for New Zealand, concluding, "A lot of things stand out, and I loved this series, and I loved the country of NZ."

Asked to bat first in the series decider, Proteas post 187/4 on the board after Esterhuizen made 75 runs off 33 balls. Ben Sears took a couple of wickets, whereas Clarkson and Foulkes claimed one wicket each.

Chasing a big target of 188 runs, Dane Cleaver (22 off 17 balls) and Tim Robinson added 35 runs for the second wicket. Nick Kelly contributed with 14 runs off 18 balls, but the Proteas skipper Keshav Maharaj dismissed him.

Bevon Jacobs added a quick 36 off 19 balls with the help of a couple of fours and three sixes.

He was also involved in a 52-run partnership with James Neesham (24 off 24 balls), but that was not enough to take the Kiwis past the winning line.

Proteas bowlers bowled in the right areas and kept the BlackCaps batters at bay. The hosts eventually lost the match by 33 runs.

- ANI