New Zealand v South Africa, 2nd T20, Hamilton

Levi brings South Africa level in style

South Africa 174 for 2 (Levi 117*, de Villiers 38*) beat New Zealand 173 for 4 (Guptill 47, Botha 1-22) by eight wickets

Richard Levi hit the most sixes in a Twenty20 innings - 13 - on his way to the fastest hundred in the format, off 45 balls, dominating the second match at a sold-out Seddon Park. Levi made New Zealand's total of 173 look at least 50 short of testing the South Africa line-up, after an energetic performance in the field kept the home side to a below-par score.

Levi brought up his half-century off 25 balls with only one single on the off side. Most of his sixes were sent down the ground or over the leg-side boundary. His next fifty runs came even quicker as Levi almost singlehandedly kept South Africa in the series, leveling it 1-1 with one to play in Auckland.

More to follow …

20 overs New Zealand 173 for 4 (Guptill 47, Botha 1-22) v South Africa

	South Africa's first wicket, that of Rob Nicol, was through a run-out © Getty Images

An energetic South African bowling effort kept New Zealand to under 175 on a run-laden pitch at a small ground. After reaching 79 for 1 at the halfway stage, New Zealand stuttered through the second part of their innings with the loss of lynchpin Martin Guptill. A cameo from James Franklin added momentum to the innings but he did not bat through.

Johan Botha was the architect of stemming the run flow. He and JP Duminy helped keep New Zealand to 41 runs between overs 10 and 15. The fast bowlers found that the slower ball served them better than out and out pace on a pitch where the ball came onto the bat easily.

South Africa replicated what New Zealand did in the first match by opening the bowling with a spinner. Botha shared the new ball with Lonwabo Tsotsobe but the combination did not produce an early wicket. Tsotsobe was targeted by the New Zealand batsmen, as he had been in the first match.

The bowlers struggled to break through and the only wicket to fall in the first half of New Zealand's innings was via a run-out. Rob Nicol took on AB de Villiers' arm when he missed a pull against Marchant de Lange and the ball landed behind the stumps. Guptill raced through in time but de Villiers threw at the bowler's end and his direct hit had Nicol well short.

Guptill continued his good form. He tucked into Wayne Parnell, who strayed down the leg side throughout his first over, launched Botha into the stands for six, finding the boundary with timing and placement rather than power. Guptill was on track to score his seventh consecutive international half-century but fell for 47, when he top-edged a hook to deep backward square. It gave the debutant de Lange his first international T20 wicket in just his second game in this format.

Guptill's dismissal allowed South Africa to drag New Zealand back and claim the wicket of Brendon McCullum. He pulled to deep midwicket where Justin Ontong took the catch on his knees after running in.

With New Zealand in danger of falling short of a par score, Franklin stepped up. Fresh from his 60 against Zimbabwe on Tuesday at this venue, Franklin cleared the boundary four times in his 10-ball 28. His second six off Duminy over long-on went out of the ground and on to the road outside. Parnell and de Lange were able to keep New Zealand to 14 runs in the last two overs against an unsure Colin de Grandhomme.