Kiwis overpower Proteas
Blacks Caps dominate with bat and ball as they cruise to a comfortable victory and level T20 series
New Zealand 177/7 South Africa 145/8 New Zealand win by 32 runs Series tied 1-1
NEW ZEALAND heeded the lessons they learned in Durban on Friday to claim a comfortable victory here yesterday that highlighted some shortcomings South Africa have with the ball and their over-reliance on AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla with the bat.
It was an efficient display from the Blacks Caps, who showed greater aggression against South Africa’s spinners and support bowlers, thereby maintaining momentum through the middle overs to set up a total that proved too big for South Africa to chase down.
The touring side’s innings was given impetus by Martin Guptill’s thunderous half-century that included a trio of sixes to accompany eight fours in a 35-ball knock of 60.
He and skipper Kane Williamson (25) once again shared a rapid opening stand of 52 – in just 5.3 overs – as was the case at Kingsmead. Like in Durban, the South Africans started loosely allowing the Kiwis to smack 10 boundaries (eight fours and two sixes) in the opening PowerPlay.
Spin again played a role in gaining South Africa some control, though the effect of Eddie Leie and Aaron Phangiso’s impact wasn’t as profound as it was at Kingsmead.
Leg-spinner Leie – a replacement for Morné Morkel, who was granted an extension to his paternity leave – wasn’t allowed to settle, with initially Guptill and then Jimmy Neesham getting after him. Neesham’s 28 was an important knock giving New Zealand the necessary thrust in a period where they had lost the match in Durban.
Structurally, playing with two spinners is something South Africa may have to get used to given where next year’s T20 World Cup is taking place. Of course it’s unlikely that Phangiso and Leie will be playing together at that event. This series and the remaining T20 matches before the Indian showpiece sees the duo competing with each other for a spot to back-up Imran Tahir in the squad for the World Cup.
Their combined seven overs went for 72 runs yesterday with each of them picking up a wicket. Leie and Phangiso weren’t as influential as their New Zealand counterparts, Ish Sodhi (2/27) and Nathan McCullum (2/31), who kept the pressure on the South Africans with McCullum’s dismissal of De Villiers in the seventh over, a turning point in the home side’s innings.
Earlier Amla had struggled to get on top of Adam Milne’s pace – one delivery was clocked by television producers at 153.8 km/h – and with their two senior batsmen out within the first seven overs, the Proteas looked lost.
Farhaan Behardien did try and provide some control and made 36 (27b, 3x4, 1x6) but there were no real partnerships around which a substantial chase must be based. The best was a 37-run fifth wicket stand between Behardien and Dave Miller (29, 20b, 2x4, 1x6), but that was too little and it came far too late in the South African innings.
There were a series of soft dismissals in the South African innings, with Morné van Wyk, Rilee Rossouw, Behardien and David Wiese all guilty after gifting their wickets to the New Zealanders.
“All round it was a pretty poor day for us,” said stand-in skipper De Villiers.
“We struggled to get momentum on our side. Even though it’s a short game, the momentum can shift around a lot, but they got on top early and then dominated pretty much for the 40 overs, which doesn’t happen a lot.”
The three match one-day series between the two teams starts here on Wednesday at 12.30pm.