LAHORE, Pakistan — Kane Williamson outshone South African opener Matthew Breetzke, who made a remarkable debut with a record-breaking ODI century, as he led New Zealand to a convincing six-wicket victory on Monday in the tri-nation series.
Williamson followed up his half-century against Pakistan on Saturday with a stellar performance, scoring an unbeaten 133 off 113 balls. This marked his first ODI century since the 2019 World Cup and propelled New Zealand to a successful chase of 308-4, securing their second consecutive win in the tournament.
The tri-nation series is serving as a preparation phase for the upcoming Champions Trophy scheduled for later this month, and Williamson’s performances have positioned him strongly for the high-stakes event.
Breetzke had previously made headlines as the first cricketer to score 150 runs in his ODI debut, leading a depleted South African squad to a total of 304-6. New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner won the toss for the second consecutive time and chose to field first.
Williamson and Devon Conway played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s successful run chase, forming a robust partnership of 187 runs for the second wicket against a weakened South African pace attack. Key players Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada are expected to rejoin the South African team later this week, just before the Champions Trophy.
The seasoned Williamson skillfully handled the inexperienced bowlers, while even the experienced wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi struggled to make breakthroughs on a batting-friendly pitch. He reached his century in just 72 balls, but Conway narrowly missed out on his century, getting out for 97 attempting a square cut.
Conway stepped into the playing eleven after Rachin Ravindra sustained an injury during the previous match. He seized the opportunity well, taking advantage of a missed stumping chance when he was on 36. He struck nine fours and a six before being caught at point by Senuran Muthusamy, one of the four debutants for South Africa.
New Zealand’s middle order faced a temporary setback as left-arm spinner Muthusamy claimed the wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham in consecutive deliveries, with Latham enduring a second consecutive duck in the tournament.
However, Glenn Phillips, who shone in New Zealand’s previous match against Pakistan, remained unbeaten on 28, and together with Williamson formed an unbroken partnership of 57 runs to confirm victory for their side. Williamson hit his 13th boundary off Muthusamy, sealing the win with eight balls to spare.
On the other side, Breetzke’s explosive innings was a highlight — he scored 150 runs off 148 balls, surpassing the previous record of 148 runs held by West Indies batter Desmond Haynes since 1978. South Africa’s total of 304-6 benefited greatly from Breetzke’s innings.
Despite losing captain Temba Bavuma early in the match, the 26-year-old Breetzke partnered with Jason Smith to add 93 runs. His ruthless hitting predominantly focused on the off side helped him achieve this milestone. He then shared an additional 131 runs with Wiaan Mulder, contributing 64 runs off 60 balls.
Breetzke brought up his century with an impressive cut shot off fast bowler Will O’Rourke and needed just 20 more balls to break Haynes’ long-standing record. He became the fourth South African batsman in history to score a century on ODI debut, joining the likes of Colin Ingram and Reeza Hendricks.
Breetzke finally fell to a slower ball from Matt Henry after an impressive innings that included 11 boundaries and five sixes. Meanwhile, O’Rourke (2-72) and Henry (2-59) each pocketed two wickets, but Ben Sears had a tough outing, conceding 20 runs in one over without claiming a wicket.
As the tri-nation series progresses, the tournament transitions to Karachi, where the winner of the upcoming South Africa vs. Pakistan match will face New Zealand in the final on Friday. Karachi will also be the venue for the Champions Trophy’s opening game between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19.
