Centuries by the young Rachin Ravindra and veteran Kane Williamson led New Zealand to a decisive 50-run victory over South Africa in the Champions Trophy’s second semifinal, securing their place in the final. The triumphant New Zealand team will head to Dubai for the championship match against India, who earned their spot after Virat Kohli’s pivotal innings in their win over Australia.
The 25-year-old Ravindra played a crucial role, scoring 108 runs from 101 balls, thereby notching up his fifth ODI hundred at an ICC event. Williamson was no less remarkable, contributing 102 off 94 deliveries, as New Zealand registered the tournament’s top score of 362-6 in their 50-over allocation.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, New Zealand surpassed Australia’s previous Champions Trophy high of 355, which had been set against England in the prior group stage at the same stadium.
Despite an unbeaten streak in the group stages, South Africa once more faltered in the ICC tournament’s knockout round. Needing 99 runs from the final three overs, South Africa’s David Miller remained defiant, striking 100 not out. He added a remarkable 48 runs in those last overs, which included seven boundaries and two sixes, allowing South Africa to reach a final score of 312-9.
Miller completed his 67-ball century on the last ball of the match, running two. He was supported by Rassie van der Dussen, who scored 69, and captain Temba Bavuma, who added 56, keeping South Africa competitive until halfway. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, however, effectively curtailed the South African chase with figures of 3-43 in ten overs.
South Africa’s efforts were further impeded by the performance of New Zealand’s trio of spin bowlers: Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Michael Bracewell, who collectively claimed five wickets. The victory also marked New Zealand’s third win at the Gaddafi Stadium in a month, having previously bested both Pakistan and South Africa in a preceding tri-nation series.
Santner expressed satisfaction with making the finals, crediting the foundation laid by Ravindra and Williamson. He emphasized the advantage of having four spin-bowling allrounders, which he noted added depth to the team’s strategy.
In the match, van der Dussen and Bavuma shared a productive partnership of 105 runs in the second wicket. However, they were undone by New Zealand’s spinners — Bavuma succumbed to a lofted delivery, while van der Dussen was bowled out by a turning ball that eluded him. A diving catch by Matt Henry off Santner dismissed Heinrich Klaasen and saw Aiden Markram return a catch to Ravindra, further setting back South Africa.
Amid the falling wickets, Miller tried to salvage the match with an impressive late blitz. However, it wasn’t enough to challenge New Zealand’s formidable total after Ravindra and Williamson had initially set up a 164-run partnership succeeding a strategic dismissal of opener Will Young.
South Africa’s bowlers struggled to contain the New Zealand batters; Ravindra and Williamson took advantage of mediocre deliveries from the pace attack for boundaries and managed the spinners adeptly. Even Keshav Maharaj, despite his experience, returned with high figures of 0-65. Ravindra, after setting up with several boundaries and a six, eventually nicked Kagiso Rabada, finishing his innings.
Williamson also crafted his innings artfully, although he survived a close call on 56 due to a missed catch. He accelerated his scoring, reaching his ODI hundred promptly, before succumbing while executing an ambitious shot against Wiaan Mulder. Contributions by Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips added momentum in the final overs, each scoring 49 and maximizing the tally with aggressive batting against Marco Jansen. Lungi Ngidi, Rabada, and Jansen all leaked runs, and Mulder was no exception as he conceded heavily.
Reflecting on the game, Bavuma conceded that New Zealand’s initial total was above the average expectation and that his team’s partnerships had fallen short, acknowledging the pressure exerted by New Zealand from early in the match.
