South Africa secured their leadership in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 (CWC23) points table with a dominant performance against New Zealand in Pune. The Proteas outplayed their close rivals, marking their first win over the Kiwis in the World Cup since 1999.
The match kicked off with a fiery double strike by Marco Jansen during the first Powerplay, while Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada also contributed with key wickets. Keshav Maharaj’s spin further solidified South Africa’s dominance with four crucial wickets.
Rassie van der Dussen was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding 133.
Before the New Zealand innings, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen’s 200-run partnership for the second wicket set the stage for South Africa’s 300-plus total. David Miller’s late charge added to the Proteas’ score.
Jansen’s early breakthroughs, including the dismissal of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, kept New Zealand under pressure. Despite attempts to accelerate the scoring, New Zealand lost wickets at critical moments.
New Zealand struggled against South Africa’s bowlers, especially Keshav Maharaj, losing four wickets for just 43 runs. Glenn Phillips provided some resistance for New Zealand with powerful strokes, but the South African bowlers maintained control.
In their innings, South Africa faced challenges from the New Zealand bowlers, but skipper Temba Bavuma’s confident strokes, particularly through the cover region, set the tone.
Bavuma fell victim to Trent Boult, but Rassie van der Dussen and Quinton de Kock continued to push the scoring rate higher, reaching the 30-over mark with aggressive shots.
De Kock notched his fourth half-century of the tournament, putting pressure on New Zealand, who were already dealing with injuries, including Matt Henry’s departure due to a hamstring issue.
South Africa accelerated after the 30-over mark, with De Kock reaching a century in the 36th over. New Zealand finally got a breakthrough in the 40th over when Southee dismissed De Kock.
David Miller and Van der Dussen’s partnership added a quick 78 runs for the third wicket, and South Africa hit a total of nine sixes in the final Powerplay, setting a record for the most sixes in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
In the end, South Africa set a formidable target for New Zealand to chase. The match began with New Zealand opting to field, and despite some challenges, South Africa posted a competitive total.
Both teams, among the early leaders in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, were eager to secure a semi-final berth with a victory.
South Africa, currently ranked second, has excelled in setting high targets but has faced difficulties when chasing. New Zealand, sitting third, was determined to bounce back from recent losses to India and Australia.
A third consecutive loss would put New Zealand in a precarious position, with Pakistan and Afghanistan in close pursuit.
New Zealand has historically had the upper hand against South Africa in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, with a 6-2 head-to-head advantage. However, the Proteas were keen to change that trend and secure a spot in the semi-finals.
As the match unfolded, both teams were well aware that their positions in the standings could determine another thrilling semi-final clash. Their last memorable encounter in the World Cup was in 2019 when New Zealand won by four wickets with one ball remaining.
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