Chasing 188, New Zealand could only manage 154\/8 despite brief resistance in the middle overs, as South Africa sealed the five-match series 3-2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on the campaign, Neesham said the team did well to bounce back after an early setback but failed to maintain momentum towards the end. \u201cIt was obviously a tough start, and then we fought back in games two and three to go 2-1 up. But unfortunately, a couple of subpar performances at the back end of the series are disappointing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The all-rounder also highlighted the demanding international calendar, with New Zealand players featuring across formats since October. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long summer. It\u2019s been going right from October. I\u2019m looking forward to my six days at home since then. That\u2019s just the nature of scheduling these days\u2014there\u2019s cricket on all year round,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With several first-choice players unavailable, Neesham emphasised the positives of giving opportunities to younger players during the series. \u201cIt was a good opportunity with a few guys absent to blood some young players. We saw some good experiences gained, some tough lessons, and some good moments. I think everyone who came in will take away something to make themselves better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The all-rounder also highlighted the demanding international calendar, with New Zealand players featuring across formats since October. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long summer. It\u2019s been going right from October. I\u2019m looking forward to my six days at home since then. That\u2019s just the nature of scheduling these days\u2014there\u2019s cricket on all year round,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also credited South Africa\u2019s bowling unit for challenging New Zealand\u2019s batters. \u201cThey brought a quality bowling attack. It gave a few of our batters a good taste of what the next level is like,\u201d Neesham concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n