Saturday 15 / March / 2025
PUNE: South Africa went to the top of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup points table after a vehement display against New Zealand in Pune on Wednesday. The Proteas registered a 190-run win following a brilliant all-round performance with bat and ball.
It was the third successive defeat for New Zealand while it was South Africa’s sixth win from seven games.
Marco Jansen's double strike lifted South Africa in the first powerplay before Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada followed up with wickets of their own. Keshav Maharaj ensured that the spinners had their say and struck four times to ensure a dominant South Africa win as New Zealand were bowled out for 167 in 35.3 overs.
Earlier, a 200-run second-wicket stand between centurions Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen set the base for yet another 300-plus total for South Africa. The Proteas were also boosted by a late charge from David Miller as they finished at 357/4.
Left-handed opener De Kock reached his 21st one-day international ton off 103 balls with eight fours and three sixes. He brought up his century with a huge six off Jimmy Neesham.
"I'm feeling really good lately. It's nice that everything is coming together at an important time for us," said De Kock at the innings break.
"I was getting a couple of messages from the bench to bat through. I just want to keep batting, bat for longer. My career is coming down to a finish, I'm trying to bat as much as I can."
De Kock also made 100 against Sri Lanka, 109 in the game with Australia and 174 in the victory over Bangladesh. He started the day needing just 69 more runs to pass 500 for the tournament when the Proteas were sent in to bat in Pune.
Having completed a 62-ball fifty, including three fours and two sixes, De Kock broke through the 500-run barrier with a leg-side boundary off recalled paceman Tim Southee.
He was eventually out for 114 caught by Glenn Phillips off Southee, ending a 200-run partnership for the second wicket.
Van der Dussen kept up the assault as he made 133 off 118 balls with nine fours and five sixes.
It was his second hundred of the tournament after his 108 against Sri Lanka and sixth of his ODI career.
Southee again made the breakthrough, clean bowling Van der Dussen in the 48th over as he tried to launch the ball across the line.
David Miller added a blistering 53 off just 30 balls with four sixes as South Africa ended their innings with Aiden Markram arriving at the wicket for the last ball which he dispatched for six.
New Zealand used seven bowlers after seamer Matt Henry suffered a hamstring injury and was forced off the field midway through his sixth over.
Brief scores: South Africa 357/4 (Quinton de Kock 114, Rassie van der Dussen 133, David Miller 53; Tim Southee 2/77) beat New Zealand 167 in 35.3 overs (Glenn Phililips 60, Will Young 33; Marco Jansen 3/31, Keshav Maharaj 4/46, Gerald Coetzee 2/41).
