Opener Martin Guptill has fallen just short of a seventh successive international half-century as New Zealand set South Africa a target of 174 in their second Twenty20 match in Hamilton.

Guptill looked set to continue his remarkable streak on Sunday night as he got to 47, but then mistimed a pull shot from fast bowler Marchant de Lange and was caught in the deep.

De Lange was one of two changes to the South Africa side that lost the series opener in Wellington, as the Proteas upped the firepower in their attack, giving skipper AB de Villiers five pace options.

But de Villiers opted to open with the spin of Johan Botha and it was the Proteas’ slow bowlers who managed to curb the Black Caps in the middle stages of their innings.

Guptill and fellow opener Rob Nicol made a good start for an unchanged Black Caps line-up, getting the score to 37 before wicketkeeper de Villiers removed Nicol with a superb piece of fielding.

Nicol had missed his pull shot, was slow to respond to the quick single and was caught short by de Villiers’ direct hit at the stumps at the bowler’s end.

Guptill and skipper Brendon McCullum then took the home side to 97 before both were dismissed the space of 17 runs.

McCullum’s departure for 35 brought in James Franklin, who accelerated the run rate by smashing 28, including four sixes, off just 10 balls.

But seamer Wayne Parnell and de Lange did well over the final two overs to restrict the Black Caps to 173-4 after they had threatened a bigger total.