Opener Martin Guptill continued his golden cricketing summer on Friday with yet another half-century as New Zealand drew first blood in their Twenty20 series against South Africa.

Chasing 148 in Wellington the Black Caps got home with four balls and six wickets to spare.

Guptill was there at the end on 78 not out made off 55 deliveries.

It was the Aucklander’s sixth consecutive international half-century, after five against Zimbabwe in all forms of the game over the past three weeks.

He hit nine boundaries, including four sixes, one of those a huge effort off seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe that went over mid-wicket and on to the Westpac Stadium roof.

He and Rob Nicol shared in an opening stand of 49, before Nicol, on 13, holed out at long-on from paceman Rusty Theron’s very first delivery.

Skipper Brendon McCullum joined Guptill and New Zealand looked to be cruising at 1-90 in the 13th over.

But the loss of McCullum (16), Kane Williamson (24) and Colin de Grandhomme (1) tightened up the contest, before James Franklin closed it out with a two and a four off successive balls.

Guptill also played his part during the South African innings.

He produced a superb diving run-out to dismiss Hashim Amla for 19 just as the opener had started to look dangerous and then took a sharp catch in the covers to help remove skipper AB de Villiers.

South Africa, having been sent in to bat, got the 6-147 without really hitting top gear.

The Black Caps opened with the spin of Nathan McCullum and the Proteas generally struggled to get New Zealand’s quartet of slow bowlers away.

They lost wickets regularly early on to be 4-52 after nine overs before Justin Ontong decided to accelerate proceedings.

Ontong whacked four consecutive sixes off one Williamson over that ended up costing 26 runs.

But he departed shortly after, the victim of a slick caught and bowled by pace bowler Tim Southee, who finished with 3-28.

Ontong’s 32 as well as JP Duminy’s top score of 41 helped the Proteas to a respectable total.

The three-match series continues in Hamilton on Sunday night.