In a thrilling high-scoring encounter, Quinton de Kock delivered a stunning performance, smashing his fourth century of the World Cup, while Rassie van der Dussen also hit a century as South Africa secured a comprehensive 190-run victory over New Zealand on Wednesday. This victory marked South Africa’s sixth win in seven matches and solidified their place in the semi-finals of the tournament.
New Zealand found themselves in a dire situation as they collapsed to 90-5 within the first 19 overs while chasing a formidable target of 358. Will Young (33) and Daryl Mitchell (24) were the only batsmen to offer any resistance, but South Africa’s relentless bowling attack dismissed them for 167 in just 35.3 overs.
The breakthroughs for South Africa were initiated by pace bowler Marco Jansen, who claimed a crucial early double strike. Spinner Keshav Maharaj also played a pivotal role, taking four wickets for 46 runs, ensuring that New Zealand had no room for recovery, despite a valiant effort by Glenn Phillips, who scored 60 runs.
The contest was highly anticipated, coming just days after the two nations clashed in the Rugby World Cup final. Quinton de Kock led the charge with a magnificent innings, scoring 114 runs, while Rassie van der Dussen exploded late in the game, securing his second century of the tournament with a score of 133. The partnership between the two of them was crucial, adding 200 runs to South Africa’s total, and they continued to build momentum in the final 10 overs.
David Miller further bolstered South Africa’s innings with a blistering 30-ball 53, ensuring that the New Zealand bowlers had a challenging day at the MCA Stadium.
South Africa began their innings steadily after New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and elected to bowl. Despite the early dismissal of captain Temba Bavuma (24), South Africa showed their strength with De Kock leading the charge. His innings was exceptional, and he reached his century with a massive six over long-leg off Jimmy Neesham before looking to accelerate.
Although De Kock added two more boundaries to his name, he eventually offered a simple catch to Glenn Phillips at backward point. Tim Southee, who was making his return to competitive action after undergoing right thumb surgery in September, claimed his first wicket of the match.
Southee’s performance was one of the few highlights for New Zealand on a challenging day, as they also lost the services of seamer Matt Henry due to a right hamstring injury during South Africa’s innings.
South Africa’s victory solidifies their strong performance in the World Cup and sets the stage for an exciting semi-final showdown as they continue to make their mark in the tournament.
