New Zealand crush SA, set up title clash with India

Kolkata: New Zealand reaching their third ICC tournament final in six years is an encouraging sign for world cricket because it tells you that you don’t need to have resources like the Big Three (India, Australia or England) or major streams of untapped talent to do well on the big stage. Just as crucial is the will that brings a team together and the Kiwis have time and again shown that they have plenty of that.

Equally promising for New Zeland is Rachin Ravindra’s penchant for big runs. Wednesday witnessed his fifth ODI hundred—all at ICC events—as the left-hander added 164 off 154 balls for the second wicket with Williamson, who incidentally also scored his third hundred in a row against South Africa, setting up a score so daunting that it was almost impossible to envisage New Zealand failing to defend 362/6. SA eventually ended up with 312/9 thanks to a century by David Miller.

For the record, only twice were higher targets chased in ODIs — both by South Africa against Australia — 435 at the Wanderers, Johannesburg in 2006 and 372 at Kingsmead, Durban in 2016. With this South African batting, nothing was impossible.

The chase looked alive when Williamson couldn’t hold on to what would have been a screamer after Temba Bavuma dragged Mitchell Santner to his right after miscuing a slog sweep. In the next over, Santner was at it again and this time Williamson got an easier catch at backward point after Bavuma was lured into a hoick but the ball dropped on him sharply.

In ominous rhythm by now, Santner had got a hang of the Lahore pitch, getting the ball to grip, turn, go with his arm and straighten. Rassie was at the end of the last one in the 27th over, playing for the straighter one but found the ball straightening to crash into his middle stump.

Heinrich Klaasen gone in his next over — Santner inducing a half-hearted heave that Matt Henry dived brilliantly from long-on to catch and almost dislocate his shoulder — and it was almost over for South Africa.

Almost, but not before Ravindra showed off his allround status in the most emphatic possible way, drawing a gift of a return catch from Aiden Markram with a half tracker. The asking rate did the rest as South Africa lost by 50 runs despite a valiant unbeaten hundred from David Miller, handing New Zealand passage to the Champions Trophy final against India.

Building partnerships is the secret to keep piling on in one-dayers despite a mediocre start and South Africa were miserable at it after Bavuma and Rassie’s stand.

New Zealand were by no means off to a blinder, scoring just 56 in the first 10 overs. Ravindra though was striking the ball like a dream, pulling, punching, flicking and caressing the ball through gaps with ease. And when he wasn’t hitting boundaries, Ravindra was farming the strike, exhibiting the maturity to not let the occasion get to him—a characteristic much revered in Williamson. A bigger hundred was definitely on the cards but New Zealanders have rarely played for individual accolades.

Question was what would be a good target to set South Africa. It was at Lahore in February that New Zealand had romped to 304 batting second so anything comparable definitely wasn’t par. But New Zealand slowly got to 362 in confident increments. Hundred up in 17.3 overs, 300 looked a distinct possibility. Hundred and fifty up in 26.1 overs, 300 was definitely on. 200/1 in 32 overs, South Africa were staring at carnage. Ravindra and Williamson steadily ramping up their batting fuelled this acceleration.

Announcing his arrival with a majestic drive between backward point and point off Lungi Ngidi, Williamson kept reminding how simple is the process of moving on from a stumble.

Rabada almost had Williamson second ball into his innings with a delivery that held its line and beat his bat. A couple of overs later, Rabada nearly had him again, inducing a catch with a slower-ball leg-cutter that dropped short of Keshav Maharaj at mid-on. Williamson kept ticking along though.

That perseverance, Ravindra admitted, was an educative phase for him. “At times my timing isn’t so great, but Kane helped me get through that phase,” he said during the innings break. “He’s a classy player, it was fun to watch him bat from the other end.”

Never more fun can be one-day batting when a batter of Williamson’s class brings out the scoop. He first deployed it against Rabada, clearing short fine-leg with ease for a four. Again, this time to bring up his 15th ODI hundred with a scoop that he middled so well that it went straight over Klaasen’s outstretched hand.

His third attempt at the scoop saw Williamson fall, just a ball short of the 40-over mark but by then New Zealand were ready to unleash the next wave of attack with Daryll Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. Both scored 49 as New Zealand hammered 83 runs in the last six overs to put the game beyond South Africa’s grasp.