The 7th warm-up game of the World Cup featured a clash between New Zealand and South Africa. Both sides took on each other at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Monday, October 2. New Zealand came into the game on the back of a brilliant win against Pakistan. On the other hand, South Africa had their first warm-up game scheduled against Afghanistan, but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The clash between New Zealand and South Africa began with the Black Caps winning the toss and opting to bat first. The innings were set alight thanks to the brilliant knock of opener Devon Conway. Coming in to bat, Conway scored 78 runs on 73 deliveries. Hitting 11 boundaries and one six, the 32-year-old’s performance helped New Zealand post a big total on the board.
He did look like he was heading towards a century, but he walked off the pitch after scoring 78 runs. Furthermore, Tom Latham scored 52 runs in 56 deliveries, with Glenn Phillips adding another 43 runs on the board. In the first innings, New Zealand posted a total of 321 runs.
South Africa’s performance was highlighted by the brilliance of Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen. In the seven overs that Ngidi bowled in the first innings, the 27-year-old conceded 33 runs and took three wickets. Jansen took three wickets and conceded 45 runs in the eight overs he bowled.
Aiming to chase down a target of 322 runs, it could be interesting to see how the South African batters will fare in Kerala. After a sensational performance in the first innings, the Black Caps will look to put in a similar showing with the ball as well.
South Africa boasts a plethora of star power with their batting power; if New Zealand are not able to get early breakthroughs in the run chase, it could be quite a challenging affair for New Zealand.