Superb fast bowling put South Africa back on track in their one-day series against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.
South Africa‚ fuelled by AB de Villiers’ 85‚ which helped make him the fastest player to score 9000 runs in the format‚ recovered from another middle order slump to total a middling 271/8 after choosing to bat on a pitch that offered movement off the seam.
Then they blew the home side away for 112 in 32.2 overs to win by 159 runs and take a 2-1 series lead.
Dwaine Pretorius led the way with a career-best haul of 3/5 from 5.2 overs‚ and Kagiso Rabada‚ Wayne Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo took two wickets each.
All of which helped South Africa deliver a starkly improved performance compared their disappointing display in Christchurch on Wednesday‚ when their batsmen frittered away a strong position and New Zealand won by six runs.
“I put a lot of emphasis on us playing as a team — I didn’t feel that in the last game‚” De Villiers said.
But the South Africans will still be unhappy with their batting after reaching 114/1 in the 23rd over only to dwindle to 180/6 in the next 16 overs — a slide of 5/66.
South Africa’s early batting success was thanks to Quinton de Kock’s 68 and the stand of 73 he shared with Faf du Plessis for the second wicket.
The visitors’ only other half-century partnership was the 84 that De Villiers and Parnell put on for the seventh wicket.
None of those concerns mattered once South Africa’s seamers started reeling in Kiwi wickets with apparent ease.
The longest a pair of their batsmen stayed at the crease together was the 12 overs that Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor faced in their third-wicket stand of 37.
Seven New Zealanders were dismissed in single figures and each of them were outscored by the extras‚ which totalled eight.
Colin de Grandhomme’s 34 not out was probably all that spared the Kiwis from being dismissed for fewer than 100 runs.
Another win for South Africa in Hamilton on Wednesday would clinch the series.
- TMG Digital
Bowlers put SA back on top Down Under
Superb fast bowling put South Africa back on track in their one-day series against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.
South Africa‚ fuelled by AB de Villiers’ 85‚ which helped make him the fastest player to score 9000 runs in the format‚ recovered from another middle order slump to total a middling 271/8 after choosing to bat on a pitch that offered movement off the seam.
Then they blew the home side away for 112 in 32.2 overs to win by 159 runs and take a 2-1 series lead.
Dwaine Pretorius led the way with a career-best haul of 3/5 from 5.2 overs‚ and Kagiso Rabada‚ Wayne Parnell and Andile Phehlukwayo took two wickets each.
All of which helped South Africa deliver a starkly improved performance compared their disappointing display in Christchurch on Wednesday‚ when their batsmen frittered away a strong position and New Zealand won by six runs.
“I put a lot of emphasis on us playing as a team — I didn’t feel that in the last game‚” De Villiers said.
But the South Africans will still be unhappy with their batting after reaching 114/1 in the 23rd over only to dwindle to 180/6 in the next 16 overs — a slide of 5/66.
South Africa’s early batting success was thanks to Quinton de Kock’s 68 and the stand of 73 he shared with Faf du Plessis for the second wicket.
The visitors’ only other half-century partnership was the 84 that De Villiers and Parnell put on for the seventh wicket.
None of those concerns mattered once South Africa’s seamers started reeling in Kiwi wickets with apparent ease.
The longest a pair of their batsmen stayed at the crease together was the 12 overs that Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor faced in their third-wicket stand of 37.
Seven New Zealanders were dismissed in single figures and each of them were outscored by the extras‚ which totalled eight.
Colin de Grandhomme’s 34 not out was probably all that spared the Kiwis from being dismissed for fewer than 100 runs.
Another win for South Africa in Hamilton on Wednesday would clinch the series.
- TMG Digital
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