The ODI World Cup 2023 was a great one for New Zealand and South Africa as they put on some exceptional performances in the tournament. A thrilling contest was expected when these two met at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. However, only one team emerged as a clear winner in this contest.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, the Kiwis got an early wicket in Temba Bavuma, who was dismissed for 24 in the 9th over. As it turns out, this was the only positive for them in the early stages of the game.
Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen then took on the charge for the onslaught on the Kiwi bowlers. The earlier took charge of cruising along, while the latter was hitting big shots across the park. Each completed their centuries to put the Proteas in a commanding position. They scored 114 in 116 balls and 133 in 118 balls, respectively.
David Miller then continued the onslaught with 53 runs in 30 balls. Aiden Markram then added the cherry on top with his last ball six to take their total to a massive 357/4. For the Black Caps, Tim Southee took two wickets, while Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham took one apiece.
New Zealand tumbles in the chase
The chase was no good for the Tom Latham-led side as they could not build any significant partnerships. They had no answers to Keshav Maharaj’s spin, who got four wickets in the game. Marco Jansen also had a great outing, picking three wickets in his eight overs. Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada also chipped in with two and one wicket, respectively.
For New Zealand, Glenn Philps was the only saving grace with his 60 in 50 balls. Will Young (33) and Daryl Mitchell (24) played small cameos but to no avail. They were eventually bundled out for 167 in under 36 overs, with South Africa winning by 190 runs.