ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, Lahore
New Zealand 362-6 (50 overs): Ravindra 108 (101), Williamson 102 (94); Ngidi 3-72
South Africa 312-9 (50 overs): Miller 100* (67), Van der Dussen 69 (66); Santner 3-43
New Zealand won by 50 runs
Scorecard
New Zealand powered their way into the Champions Trophy final with a thumping 50-run win over South Africa after centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.
The Black Caps opted to bat first in Lahore and posted a tournament-record 362-6 in a superbly paced one-day innings.
It was built on a 164-run partnership for the second wicket between Ravindra and Williamson, who registered their fifth and 15th ODI hundreds respectively.
Despite both falling shortly after reaching three figures, New Zealand kept going and plundered 110 runs from the final 10 overs thanks to the big hitting of Daryl Mitchell, who made 49 from 37 balls, and Glenn Phillips, who finished unbeaten on 49 from 27.
Facing a daunting total, albeit on a pitch that could hardly have been friendlier to the batters, South Africa attempted to mirror the Kiwis’ approach.
The chase started well, with Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen putting on 105 for the second wicket.
However, unlike Ravindra and Williamson, they were unable to kick on, with New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner dismissing them both – and the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen – in a brilliant spell during the middle overs.
With the required run-rate climbing quickly, South Africa had to keep attacking but the wickets kept tumbling and, despite David Miller bringing up a 67-ball century from the last ball of the match, they finished well short on 312-9.
New Zealand will now travel to Dubai to face India in Sunday’s final, hoping to win the trophy for a second time, 25 years on since they won their only ICC white-ball title.
New Zealand’s approach to a 50-over innings is about as traditional as it gets.
Build a base over the first 35 or 40 overs, leaving enough wickets in hand to launch an almighty assault in the latter part of the innings.
A simple strategy that, if executed well, can be hard to stop. In Lahore, New Zealand did so near perfectly.
Of course, it requires players with both the technique and the temperament to go through the gears, knowing when the time is right to accelerate and which bowlers to target.
It is a role Williamson has excelled in for more than a decade and, while the 34-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, New Zealand look to have a natural successor in Ravindra.
Throughout the 26 overs the pair were together at the crease, New Zealand dictated proceedings.
When they wanted to tick over quietly with ones and twos they did so, while remaining ready to put away the bad ball, then acknowledging the quality surface they upped the ante and seamlessly turned five or six-an-over into sevens and eights.
Elegant left-hander Ravindra was in control throughout his innings and while he was the more aggressive in his stand with Williamson, he was fairly consistent in his scoring rate – his first fifty coming up in 47 balls, the second in 46.
Ravindra’s swift scoring meant the Black Caps could afford for Williamson to make a relatively slow start, confident he would be able to catch up.
It took South Africa giving him a life on 56 to do so – Klaasen put down a catch behind the stumps, diving to his right – and Williamson made them pay.
Having reached his half-century from 61 balls, he needed just 30 more to get to his ton as he pushed on after Ravindra’s dismissal, combining his usual classical strokes with some imaginative scoops and ramps.
By the time Williamson departed in the 40th over, New Zealand were ready to launch. Given such a solid foundation, the power hitters did not disappoint.
If New Zealand highlighted the positives of building an innings towards a big finish, South Africa’s showed that getting it right – especially in a chase – is far easier said than done.
For more than 20 overs of the chase, all signs pointed towards a thrilling finish as the Proteas stayed right alongside where New Zealand had been at the same stage.
However, just when the time came to start increasing the run-rate, Bavuma and Van der Dussen found themselves up against Santner.
The New Zealand captain was as disciplined as ever with his left-arm spin, finding a probing line and length and subtly varying his pace.
Bavuma was undone by a flighted delivery that dipped late and turned enough to find a leading edge that looped to backward point, while Van der Dussen was bowled by a flatter ball darted in at leg stump that straightened to hit middle and leg.
Santner had Klaasen caught at long-on in his next over and from game on in the 23rd over, it was game over in the 29th.
Spin continued to do the trick for the Black Caps, with Ravindra getting Aiden Markram caught and bowled before Phillips and Michael Bracewell also picked up wickets with their off-spin.
Miller was impressive in bludgeoning his way to three figures but by the time he got going, the game was lost.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner: “The platform we were able to set was vital. We were happy with 360 but with the power that South Africa have, we knew it would be a challenge.
“What we speak about as a group is about applying pressure, keep being aggressive with the ball and trying to take wickets. In a chase like that, if you don’t get them out, they are going to catch up.”
Player of the match, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra: “It’s always a great feeling to contribute to the team. To get an emphatic win on the semi-final stage like this, I couldn’t be happier.”
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma: “From a batting point of view, we didn’t get those partnerships. There were one or two there but we needed either myself or Rassie van der Dussen to emulate their top four.”
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