In a captivating second semifinal of the Champions Trophy, New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs to earn a coveted place in the final against India on Sunday. The match, played at the Gaddafi Stadium, was a display of New Zealand’s batting as they amassed a record 362 for 6 after deciding to bat first.
Main contributions came from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, who scored wonderful hundreds. Ravindra contributed 108 runs from 101 balls and Williamson chipped in with 102 runs from 94 balls. They made a great start with a solid 164-run second-wicket stand making New Zealand well and truly in the driving seat.
In the last overs, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips added vital runs, with Mitchell scoring 49 off 37 balls and Phillips not out on 49 off just 27 balls. New Zealand’s last 10 overs yielded a staggering 110 runs, showing their dominance on a batting-friendly surface.
South Africa’s response was highlighted by David Miller’s valiant century, 100 off 67 balls, but it was too late to chase the target. Miller’s struggle was in vain as the South African batting faltered under pressure, managing 312 for 9. Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma provided some relief with half-centuries, but a mid-innings collapse saw six wickets lose 57 runs, which proved to be their undoing.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner showed leadership by scoring a match-winning bowling with 3 wickets for 43 runs. Despite the weak ball performance by South Africa, Lungi Ngidi took 3 wickets for 72 runs, and Kagiso Rabada took 2 for 70.
In their victory, New Zealand not only set a new tournament record for the highest team score but also made it to the final against a formidable Indian side featuring stars Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli. Ahead of the championship final, New Zealand bowlers will pray that they forget Miller’s match-winning performance and come ready to offer a good fight against a powerful batting line-up.
