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New Zealand beat Proteas to face India in Champions Trophy final

rugby05 March 2025 17:15| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson scored contrasting but equally brilliant centuries to lead New Zealand to a total of 362-6 before captain Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets to give his team a 50-run victory in their Champions Trophy semifinal against South Africa who were restricted to 312-9 in reply at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.

David Miller scored a gloriously defiant, unbeaten 100 with typically audacious and powerful ball-striking but, gallingly for him, it was always destined to be in vain as he added a remarkable 56 runs with Lungi Ngidi for the 10th wicket with Ngidi facing just two balls and contributing one run.

Miller’s hundred may not be readily remembered in years to come because of the result, but as a performance born of frustration and possibly anger it was brutally entertaining as he blasted 10 fours and four sixes from just 67 balls.

South Africa required the fourth highest successful run chase in ODI history to reach Sunday’s final against India in Dubai and a second-wicket stand of 105 between Rassie van der Dussen (69 from 66 balls) and captain Temba Bavuma (56 from 71) provided a strong foundation before left-arm spinner Santner (10-0-43-3) changed the course of the match.

Bavuma’s attempt to change the pace of his pedestrian innings ended with a sliced drive to cover while Van der Dussen was bowled a by a beauty.

From 161-2 the run-chase had suddenly imploded to 167-4 when Heinrich Klaasen (3) heaved a craftily-flighted Santner delivery to deep midwicket.

Aiden Markram (31) chipped a return catch to part-time left-arm spinner Ravindra who enjoyed a dream match but South Africa’s hopes that two genuine allrounders would make a significant difference proved in vain when, with the asking rate close to 12 runs per over, Wiaan Mulder (8) was caught at deep midwicket and Marco Jansen (3) trapped lbw by offspinner Glenn Phillips.

Miller’s hundred provided some consolation for the Proteas who will once again be accused of failing to produce their best when it mattered most having produced clinical performances to dismantle both Afghanistan and England in their two group matches either side of a washout against Australia.

But that would be entirely churlish to deny New Zealand the quality of their play.

ART IN MOTION

Earlier left hander Ravindra was art in motion with some classic, elegant cover drives and late cuts in a collection of 13 boundaries and a straight driven six against Keshav Maharaj during his 108 from just 101 balls before finally edging a drive against Kagiso Rabada to ‘keeper Heinrich Klaasen in the 34th over.

Former captain Williamson displayed all of his nous and experience on a flat pitch offering almost no assistance to the bowlers, nudging, cutting and pulling with ease to collect 10 fours and a couple of sixes on his way to 102 from just 94 balls before attempting to scoop a full-length delivery from Mulder (6-0-48-1) only to pick out Ngidi at short fine leg.

Daryl Mitchell enjoyed the freedom provided by a scoreboard reading 212-2 when he came to the crease and helped himself to 49 from 37 balls and when he heaved an Ngidi slower ball to deep midwicket, but Phillips took over in the final five overs to smash an unbeaten 49 from only 27 deliveries with half a dozen sixes and one maximum.

Phillips had an answer to every change of strategy attempted by the Proteas bowlers, finding gaps with ease as he muscled six fours and a pulled six to push the total well beyond 300 and then over 350.

Inevitably there were moments of fortune for the batsmen with several edges flying to the fine boundaries but they also earned their luck with a bold approach which saw all three of the Proteas main pacemen conceding over 70 runs from their 10 overs – Jansen 10-0-79-0, Rabada 10-1-70-2 and Ngidi 10-0-72-3.

But it was also the Black Caps pointed efforts to target the usually parsimonious Maharaj (10-0-65-0) in the middle overs which paid rich dividends and left captain Bavuma without his most trusted weapon to stem the flow of runs.

Bavuma returned to the South Africa XI having missed the final group game against England with illness and opened the batting in place of Tony de Zorzi.

South Africa required the fourth highest successful ODI run-chase to win the match and meet India in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

But that privilege was well-earned by the Black Caps.

SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma (captain), Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

NEW ZEALAND: Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wkt), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke

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