New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum on Tuesday acclaimed one of his country’s finest one-day international series wins — and an innings by Kane Williamson which made victory possible over South Africa.
Williamson hit 145 not out to set up a 27-run win for New Zealand in the second one-day international at the Diamond Oval.
It gave the tourists a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series and was a major turnaround for a team who were thrashed in both Tests.
Photo: AFP
“It is one of the finest one-day series wins in New Zealand’s history, the ninth-ranked team against the top team,” McCullum said. “It is incredibly satisfying to finish off the tour this way.”
McCullum said Williamson’s innings was “one of the best we have seen from a New Zealander.”
Williamson bounced back from a disappointing Test series with a confident, stroke-filled career-best innings in a New Zealand total of 279-8.
Despite Williamson’s heroics, South Africa were on course for victory until two run-outs in successive overs derailed their run chase.
There were a total of five run-outs as the hosts limped to 252 all out in their reply.
The New Zealand players shouted for joy and hugged each other on the field as they retrieved some pride after losing both Tests by an innings.
Williamson and Grant Elliott (48) laid the foundation for New Zealand’s total with a third-wicket stand of 127 off 128 balls.
Williamson reached his third one-day international century off exactly 100 balls with 14 fours.
He was hampered by cramp in the later stages of his innings, but finished with a career-best 145 not out off 136 balls, with 17 fours and a six.
It was the first century for the tourists since Martin Guptill made a match-winning 101 not out in the second Twenty20 international in East London last month.
Williamson and Elliott enabled New Zealand to recover from a slow start in which they were no runs for the loss of Guptill’s wicket in three overs after being sent in.
On a ground with a history of successful run chases — with two of more than 300 having been achieved in one-day internationals — South Africa looked in control as Graeme Smith and Colin Ingram put on 139 for the second wicket, but former captain Smith on 66 called for a risky third run in the 31st over and was run-out by a superb throw from third-man by James Franklin.
In the next over, new captain Faf du Plessis was run out by a direct hit by Nathan McCullum from short-cover when he ventured out of his crease, before being sent back.
Ingram was caught at mid-off for 79 three overs later and South Africa’s inexperienced batting lineup — weakened by the loss of suspended captain A.B. de Villiers and the injured Hashim Amla — were unable to regain the momentum.
“We didn’t play well in the end,” Du Plessis said. “From 167 for one you should win the game. The batting unit must take responsibility, but it is a young team and hopefully we can learn from this.”
It was New Zealand’s first win in any series in South Africa following a tense one-wicket victory in the opening encounter of the three-match series in Paarl on Saturday.
HSIEH ADVANCES: In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei was to play in the second round last night, but Taiwan’s Ray Ho exited in the men’s doubles It is more than 10 years since Grigor Dimitrov reached his sole Wimbledon semi-final and back then it still seemed a reasonable bet that the Bulgarian once dubbed “Baby Federer” would win a Grand Slam title. There were semi-final runs at the US Open and Australian Open after that, but it has never quite happened and despite him still being ranked No. 21, it most likely never will. Dimitrov, 34, remains one of the most stylish players on the circuit though, with his elegant single-handed backhand and smooth all-court game a rare reminder of how tennis was before the power merchants turned
Spain are the favorites to win the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, but star player Aitana Bonmati’s illness ahead of the tournament raises another question mark around a side which, despite their obvious quality, are not unstoppable. Having claimed the last two Ballon d’Or awards, Barcelona midfielder Bonmati is the game’s biggest star at present, so her absence in the final days before the start of Euro 2025 is a major setback. The 27-year-old came down with a fever in training last week, and was subsequently hospitalized and diagnosed with viral meningitis. Bonmati was discharged on Sunday and joined up with
Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund had taken three crazy turns during nine minutes of second-half stoppage time when Marcel Sabitzer chested the ball and sent a right-footed volley toward Thibaut Courtois’ post. Courtois leapt to his right, extended the long arm on his 2m frame and just managed to get his gloved fingertips on the ball, knocking it down. Courtois hit the ground as the ball bounded up. He looked skyward, planted his right hand to regain his balance, grabbed the ball with both hands on the second bounce and fell onto it with his chest. Sabitzer turned
INJURY TURMOIL: Despite stunning French Open champions Paolini and Errani to advance, Chan was forced to pull out after her partner’s tearful women’s singles defeat Last year’s mixed doubles champions Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Poland’s Jan Zielinski on Monday crashed out of the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, leaving the Taiwanese star focused on pursuing a fifth women’s doubles title in London, while a partner injury forced compatriot Chan Hao-ching to give up on her doubles campaign. Hsieh and Zielinksi, who last year also won the Australia Open title, narrowly lost their opening set 7-6 (9/7), before Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani stunned the former champions 6-3 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Taiwanese-Polish duo had been dominant in the first two
RSS