Finally a nail-biting finish and the best match of the World Cup without a doubt. A low scoring match has always been a better contest than high scoring games.
After winning the toss, Kane Williamson decided to bowl; first, the match had a late start due to a wet outfield and was reduced to 49 overs a side.
South Africa had a bad start to the innings, losing their in-form batsman de Kock in the second over of the day. However, Hashim Amla finally scored some runs for the team in this competition. He scored a slow 55, his first half-century of the tournament, and also reached the milestone of 8000 runs in ODI during his innings.
South Africa were 136 for 4 in 32.3 overs when Miller joined van der Dussen in the middle. They both added some quick runs in the last few overs, making sure that the bowlers have something on the board to fight. Ferguson took three wickets for New Zealand, restricting South Africa on 241 in 49 overs.
Watch: South African Innings
? Watch all the cracking shots from South Africa's innings, including some classic Amla drives #SAvNZ | #CWC19#ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/9tkip6J3pb
— ICC (@ICC) June 19, 2019
New Zealand started in the same fashion as South Africa. They lost their opener, Colin Munro early on. Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill added 60 runs for the 2nd wicket before Guptill lost his balance and got out hit wicket (one of the rare dismissals). The Kiwis were in the spot of bother as New Zealand lost three wickets in the space of 8 runs. With 80 for 4, South Africa had a chance to win the match against a dominant team.
However, Kane Williamson kept his calm, as he first added with 57 runs with Jimmy Neesham for the 5th wicket and then 91 runs with Colin de Grandhomme for the 6th wicket. He scored a boundary in the penultimate over before hitting a six (which also brought up his hundred) in the last over of the match to seal the win.
Watch: New Zealand Innings
'Slower ball it is, six it is!'
See Kane Williamson's instant classic and other super shots from New Zealand's innings#BACKTHEBLACKCAPS#NZvSA #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/MD2k5GJqDH
— ICC (@ICC) June 19, 2019
STATS
- Williamson became only the second Kiwi captain after Stephen Fleming to score a hundred in the World Cup tournament.
- Hashim Amla reached 8000 runs milestone in 176, second fastest to score these many runs, Kohli is the fastest who reached the milestone in 175 innings.
- Kane Williamson is now the fastest to reach 1000 ODI runs in England, he took 17 innings, Rohit who held the record before Williamson, took 18 innings.
