Left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe has claimed a hat-trick as South Africa tuned up for their Twenty20 cricket series against New Zealand with a 20-run win over Canterbury in Christchurch.
Tsotsobe dismissed George Worker, Peter Fulton and Shanan Stewart in successive balls spread over two overs to leave the Wizards at 9-3 as they chased a target of 151 today.
From their perilous position, the new-look Canterbury side, with five players making their T20 debuts, did well to get to 130 before being bowled out at the end of the 19th over.
Matt Henry was the key member of a wagging tail, the 20-year-old belting 42 off 17 balls, including five sixes.
He shared in a 59-run eighth-wicket partnership with Matt McEwan, one of the debutants, who celebrated his 21st birthday with 30 runs and a wicket in the South African innings.
Tsotsobe, who took the first four Canterbury wickets to fall, finished with the fine figures of 4-18.
Earlier, South Africa got to 150-6 after opener Richard Levi had given them a blazing start with 63 runs off just 32 balls.
Levi produced some impressive power hitting at Hagley Park as he struck 13 boundaries, including three sixes.
Having helped his side to 81-0, he was bowled by Worker when going for another big hit.
From there, the Proteas' scoring rate slowed, with Worker (3-23) and fellow young spinner Tim Johnston (1-24) playing a major part in applying the brakes.
The tourists now turn their attention to their three T20 internationals against the Black Caps, the first in Wellington on Friday night.
NZN