Guptill belts NZ to victory
Opener levels series with epic innings
Martin Guptill produced New Zealand’s individual highest chasing innings of 180 not out off 138 balls to secure a seven-wicket victory over South Africa with 30 balls to spare at Hamilton last night.
His heroics helped level the fivematch one-day international series 2-2 with a decider set for Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.
Alongside Ross Taylor (66 off 97 balls), the pair put on 180 for the third wicket, a record for any partnership against the Proteas in ODIs and second on the overall list. They helped chase down 280.
In his 12th ODI century, Guptill delivered some of the cleanest hitting at a New Zealand cricket ground, which says something given his past pedigree. The innings included 11 sixes and was made all the more special because it was his first appearance since recovering from a hamstring strain suffered during the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
Business will be booming for chiropractors and physiotherapists across the Waikato today, due to cricks in patrons’ necks. The ball was drawn like a magnet to the middle of Guptill’s bat as he saturated his wagon wheel.
“It was pretty up there, possibly my No 1,” Guptill said when asked how the innings ranked among his ODI efforts. “I’m reasonably happy with how [yesterday] went without a lot of preparation.”
“I was always hoping this day would never come, where he’s figured out his game and playing it nice and late,” South African captain AB de Villiers said of Guptill. “I could sit here for quite some time and talk about that knock. It was a special innings.”
Taylor was due recognition, too. He stuck with his teammate through a period which included taking a review of a successful Dwaine Pretorius lbw shout when on 62.
Guptill needed to deliver something spectacular after the masterclass AB de Villiers served 2264 fans.
The visitors decided to bat on what appeared a slowish wicket. The Proteas reached 279 for eight, blasting 100 for two from the final eight overs.
As a last resort to get de Villiers’ wicket, his hit single Maak Jou Drome Waar (translated as Make Your Dreams Come True from Afrikaans) was blasted across the public address system. The serenading distraction came to nought. He was at his barnacle best on the way to 72 not out from 57 balls.
Jeetan Patel and Mitchell Santner signalled New Zealand’s intentions to take the pace off the ball by opening the bowling. It was the first time in 3843 ODIs that two spinners had opened the first innings for any team.
Santner finished with one for 40 while Patel took two for 57. The 36-year-old off spinner coaxed Quinton de Kock to edge behind for a golden duck, his first in 133 innings across all international formats. The dismissal ended the opener’s chances of becoming the first South African to top 50 in six consecutive ODIs.
The Proteas struggled to assert momentum in the middle overs before de Villiers got into his work alongside cameos from Chris Morris (28 from 27 balls) and Wayne Parnell (29 from 12).
But no-one could trump the majesty of Guptill.