At the very least, Kane Williamson performed the last rituals. If you have to lose a Test and be saddled with an unwelcome record that you have avoided for over 92 years, the kindest man in cricket should deliver the killing blows, not some smug aggressor.

Against South Africa in a men’s Test series, Williamson achieved something that New Zealand had never done since their first meeting with these opponents in February and March 1932: victory. Williamson’s undefeated 133 at Seddon Park on Friday was his third century in four innings and his seventh in a dozen trips to the crease.

After being outplayed and thrashed by 281 runs in the first Test at Mount Maunganui, the South Africans, who had been substantially depleted by SA20 contractual obligations, were more competitive in Hamilton. Dane Piedt took 5/89 in the first innings, giving South Africa a 31-run lead, while David Bedingham scored 110 in the second, raising hopes of a Cinderella victory. However, a collapse of 6/33 after tea on Thursday, featuring Will O’Rourke, whose match statistics of 9/93 are the best by a New Zealand debutant, reduced the aim to 267. In the last hour of play on Friday, Williamson and Will Young put on an unbroken partnership of 152 runs, sending New Zealand home by seven wickets.

“We were in a really good position [on Thursday] afternoon to put the Black Caps under real pressure,” Shukri Conrad remarked. “At teatime, we were 217 for four, and we could have batted for the rest of the day. But we believed we had posted something competitive. But when the world’s top hitter plays as he does, I don’t think we can be too dissatisfied with the outcome of the game.”

Williamson batted for over six hours and faced 260 balls to reach his 32nd Test century, the first of which came on debut in Ahmedabad in November 2010. His most recent accomplishment was a patient march to triumph that got more unstoppable with each passing, faultless minute Williamson spent in the crease. He scored more than anybody else in the series and faced only five deliveries less than South Africa’s leading batter, Bedingham.

“You just watch and marvel at the way he goes about his business,” he remarked. “If there’s anything for our younger boys and more experienced individuals to learn, it’s how he wanted to be there at the end, virtually pulling out the stumps and saying thank you very much. He is a fanatic for batting. It was an amazing masterclass. I sit here hoping that our players saw and learned how the greatest do it.”

Neil Brand observed Williamson’s innings up close: “He doesn’t leave his bubble. He merely stays there, concentrating on the next ball. From what I’ve seen, he takes the game seriously. He never throws away his wicket and is always eager to bat. Many of us can learn from that.”

What could Tim Southee do but laud the guy from whom he took over the captaincy in December 2022? “He is a special talent. It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, but he found a way. We knew that if someone could remain with him and show us his intelligence, things would get easier. He was put to the test with spin and pace on a difficult pitch, but as we have seen over the years, he came out on top. It’s incredible to see him be able to perform what he does after a year of injuries, setbacks, rehabs, and recovery.

“He goes into his batting bubble, which I think is his happy spot. We joke that he doesn’t like spending time with us and would rather be out in the middle. But it’s just his pure will to bat, not only in the middle but also in the nets.”

“He is constantly seeking to enhance his game. It’s no coincidence that he’s as excellent as he is; he trains harder than anyone I’ve seen. He hits more balls than anyone I’ve ever seen, and he simply gets into that zone. He’s a player you want on your side. For more than ten years, he has been an outstanding part of the team and one of our greatest. And there’s more to come.

When they batted on Thursday, the South Africans knew they had lost, but they were left to pick up the pieces of what could have been had they applied themselves more. “The only time you are allowed to lose is when the opposition are better than you, and they certainly were better than us,” Conrad stated. Brand was reassured that “you know it’s possible to play at this level” as comfort.

He should consider himself fortunate that he is not a member of South Africa’s women’s squad, which is facing a catastrophic defeat following two days of a one-off Test at the Waca. They were dismissed for 76 in 6.2 overs more than a session, with Darcie Brown collecting 5/21, and they struggled for 125.2 overs until Australia declared at 575/9. Out of the 148 women’s Test matches played, Annabel Sutherland’s score of 210 was the fourth double-century. South Africa’s top order had been decimated by stumps on Friday, leaving them 432 runs down. The fact that Australia is playing its ninth Test in ten years and South Africa is only playing its second highlights the gap between the teams, but it will not make the visitors feel any better about their inevitable defeat.

South Africa’s teams will travel vast distances home to a cricket-obsessed population that will look at them with sympathy, displeasure, and concern. Even with the extenuating conditions, how could they have done so poorly? What effect will these results have on their collective psyche? Why should they be interested in all of that when they can suspend their disbelief and devote their energy to something as trivial and insignificant as T20 tournaments?

Like the SA20. It is a fair bet. South Africans had forgotten about Saturday’s final at Newlands, let alone the remainder of this year’s competition. And that’s the point: cricket is played for its reason, as much as for money. No overbearing seriousness interferes with the enjoyment, and no unpleasant memories cling throughout the days and weeks that follow. Everyone returns home delighted. Who won? Who cares? Even so, when the international game dries up in South Africa, T20 shines brightly. And especially when a tournament demonstrates demonstrable development, as the SA20 has.

Only 12 of the 34 matches were decided by 10 runs or fewer, with no more than six balls remaining. However, that was three more games than the previous year, and close finishes are not a true reflection of the quality of the cricket played; two weak teams might combat the tightest match just as easily as two excellent sides.

This year’s South African Twenty20 saw four centuries, compared to three in 2023. Last year, no players achieved aggregates of 400 or more. This year, there were four. Ryan Rickelton was the season’s highest run scorer, with 530 in 10 innings. Last summer, no one could match Jos Buttler’s 391 in 11.

Will Jacks led the league with 19 sixes in the first season; Heinrich Klaasen nearly doubled that total in 2024 with 37. In 2023, three players made it to 50 off 19 balls. In 16 this year, Klaasen arrived. A year ago, Klaasen’s achievement off 43 deliveries was surpassed by Jacks’ century in 2024 off 41 balls.

With a score of 113, Faf du Plessis set the record last year. Kyle Verreyne made 116 runs without giving up this year. In 2023, Reeza Hendricks and Du Plessis shared the largest stand at 157. In 2024, Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen accumulated 200 points together.

This year, there have been twelve hauls of four wickets or more. Last year, eight. Three of 2024’s top bowling figures were five-fours. We saw one in 2023.

Not all measurements indicate an increased trend. In both editions, the magic number for the most wickets taken by a bowler was twenty. Anrich Nortje’s 142 dot balls from the previous year surpassed Daniel Worrall’s 124 this year.

However, the event is undoubtedly exercising its muscles as it grows. If things keep going in that direction, how long before the SA20 takes the place of the international match as this nation’s preferred cricket competition, complete with all its energy regardless of who wins and none of the sadness that accompanies South Africa’s defeat?