South Africa win Super Eight match against New Zealand
South Africa secured a 13-run victory over New Zealand in their first Super Eight match of the World Twenty20, with a barrage of sixes by Albie Morkel (pictured) putting the game out of reach of the Kiwis.
While there’s no question of the power that lies behind Morkel’s bat, the 29-year-old has in recent times struggled to reap the rewards that should have followed from his obvious ability.
At Kensington Oval, however, Morkel cut loose in a manner that must have left the entire South Africa camp smiling, as he smashed five sixes on his way to a quick fire 40 from just 18 deliveries.
That knock, combined with AB de Villiers more measured 47 from 39, was pivotal in the Proteas setting a 170-run total that put the game out of the Blackcaps’ reach, while Jacques Kallis (31 from 26) and Herschelle Gibbs (30 from 24) provided the platform from that pair to launch.
"The platform was there for Albie, the guys up front had done a really good job setting up the game,” said South Africa captain Graeme Smith after the match. “It was nice to back him and to see him play a knock like that."
For New Zealand, undefeated after the group stage, the loss was a blow to their aspirations of a semi-final berth this year, with matches against the unpredictable Pakistan and the much-improved England to come in the Super Eight stage.
"It's the nature of Twenty20 that you can't get it right every time but there are crucial situations that you have to get right and this time it was the last four or five overs," said New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, lamenting the 62 runs that his side conceded in the last five overs of South Africa’s innings as Morkel took charge in the middle.
“We have to improve pretty quickly going into two must-win games now,” said the spinner, who despite finishing the match wicketless, was by some margin the least expensive of his side’s bowlers.
New Zealand’s chances of chasing down what had blown out to a sizeable total, were dealt a blow when Gibbs took terrific one-handed catch at cover to send Brendan McCullum on his way for six in the first over of the Blackcaps’ reply.
At the other end of the innings, brother Nathan was unable to conjure the same match-winning knock at the death that he did against Sri Lanka, as he finished unbeaten on 26 for 17, and his side was left 13 runs in arrears after the final ball was bowled.
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