Calm Kane guides Kiwis home, putting Proteas on the brink

Oh South Africa! What would we do without you and a tight contest in the World Cup against New Zealand!

This was all too reminiscent of their last over defeat where Grant Elliot scored the winning runs off Dale Steyn to take the Kiwis to the final of the World Cup.

On this occasion, it was captain cool Kane Williamson who did the same against Andile Phehlukwayo to win a thrilling game at Edgbaston on Wednesday by four wickets and three deliveries to spare and send the Proteas on the brink of elimination.

The defeat once again brings out the ‘chokers’ tag that has been associated with the Proteas in ICC World events, which they have failed to win since 1998.

1st Innings

The toss of the match was delayed by an hour due to a wet outfield and prior rain, and as a result was reduced to 49-overs per side.

After losing the toss and being put on to bat, South Africa lost the key wicket of Quinton de Kock as he was bowled by a beautiful in-swinging delivery from Trent Boult with the score on just nine.

Captain Faf du Plessis came on and formed a steady partnership with Hashim Amla to take the team score past fifty but he too was bowled by a brilliant148 kmph yorker from Lockie Ferguson  after scoring 28.

Aiden Markram was up next and he then formed another steady partnership with Amla, who reached 8000 ODI runs in his 176th innings, becoming the second-fastest to do it after Indian captain Virat Kohli, who took 175 games.

Amla soon reached his 38th ODI half-century but in trying to up the run rate, he perished for 55, off the bowling of Mitchell Santner, who bowled very intelligently on a sluggish surface.

In came Rassie van der Dussen and he was batting steadily but Markram then fell for 38 to give the Kiwis control as the Proteas were 136/4.

David Miller and van der Dussen then dug in and eventually started to play some aggressive shots and they took the score past 200.

Miller tried to hit Ferguson for one too many shots and was eventually caught at deep third man by Boult after scoring 36.

Van der Dussen then kept the runs flowing even though the New Zealand bowlers bowled very intelligently and kept the damage to a minimum as they finished with 241/6 in 49 overs.

2nd Innings

The Kiwis also lost an early wicket as Colin Munro was caught and bowled by Kagiso Rabada for nine.

But Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill formed a solid partnership to take the score to 72 before  

Guptill was out hit-wicket in trying to pull a Phehlukwayo bouncer and slipping, for 35.

Chris Morris then took two quick wickets of Ross Taylor and Tom Latham to put South Africa back on top as New Zealand stumbled to 80/4.

Williamson then was joined by James Neesham who held his end up and formed a vital 57-run partnership to bring the Kiwis back before Morris once again was brought back and dismissed Neesham as he scored 23.

Colin de Grandhomme came in and played some aggressive shots in a counter-attacking innings that eased the required run rate as South Africa missed a few big opportunities to break the Williamson-Grandhomme partnership.

First, Miller dropped a difficult chance of Williamson off the bowling of Tahir and then Williamson once again got lucky as the players and umpires failed to detect an edge that had gone to the gloves of de Kock off the bowling of Tahir again.

And then came another chance where Miller missed a run out of Williamson off the bowling of Rabada.  

De Grandhomme continued to plunder the South African bowlers as he reached his second ODI fifty.

With the total in sight, Ngidi finally got the breakthrough dismissing Grandhomme for 60 and with just 14 needed off 11 runs.

Williamson though made sure the chase was achieved in the last over as he heaved Andile Phehlukwayo for six in the second ball of the last over to bring up his century and level the scores as memories of the 2015 semi-final came flashing back to haunt the Proteas.

Points Table

The win takes New Zealand back to the top of the points table as they have nine points from five games and remain undefeated.

With, England and Australia on eight points and India on seven from four games, the gap between the top four and the bottom four start to widen.

South Africa remain eighth with just three points from six games and with just three more left to play, the maximum they can get is nine points, which would require some results to go in their favor if they are to make the semis, but the chances have almost gone.

Key stats

South Africa have now been beaten by New Zealand in three straight World Cup games.

The kiwis are also the only team the Proteas have played in every edition of the World Cup since their re-admission into cricket in 1992.

They have played eight games winning just two and losing six.