Auckland, March 20 -- A sensational spell from pacer Lockie Ferguson and a half-century from Tom Latham were the highlights as New Zealand beat South Africa by eight wickets at Auckland on Friday.

With this win, the Kiwis have a 2-1 lead over South Africa in the five-match series. Put to bat first, the Proteas put up a disappointing batting performance, restricted to 136/9, with Ferguson's four-over spell of 1/9 stealing the show. During the run-chase, a 96-run stand between Devon Conway and Latham helped the Kiwis cruise to the target with 22 balls to spare.

After NZ opted to win the toss and opted to field first, skipper Mitchell Santner (2/21), Ben Sears (2/27) and Ferguson (1/9) made them pay as the Proteas fell to 68/6 in 11.1 over...