Wed Jul 16 13:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:
**Headline: South African-Born Jacobs Makes Impactful Debut for New Zealand Against Proteas**
Harare – Bevon Jacobs, a 23-year-old cricketer born in Pretoria, South Africa, marked his T20 International debut for New Zealand against his country of birth on Wednesday, making a significant impact. Jacobs, who moved to New Zealand at the age of three and was raised in Auckland, has risen through the ranks of New Zealand cricket after learning the game from his father. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians for ₹30 lakh (around R 625,000) at the 2024 IPL Auction but didn’t make any apperances in 2025.
He earned his opportunity in the Black Caps’ squad after a strong domestic showing that included a rapid 42 off 20 balls in his Super Smash debut for Canterbury, followed by fifties in both innings of his maiden first-class match for Auckland.
Jacobs seized the moment, scoring an impressive 44* off 31 balls. His unbeaten 103-run partnership with Tim Robinson wasn’t enough to give the Black Caps a win as the Proteas cruised to a five-wicket victory in their T20I Tri-Series opener.
First Piper 