Kiwis restrict SA to 241 for 6
Birmingham (PTI): New Zealand bowling unit fired in unison as they restricted South Africa to 241 for six in a rain-truncated encounter at Birmingham on Wednesday.
The match was reduced to 49-a-side affair after wet ground outfield delayed the start. Despite half centuries from Hashim Amla (55 off 83 balls, 4x4s) and Rassie van der Dussen (67 not out off 64 balls, 2x4s, 34x6s), the Black Caps managed to keep the South African batsmen under tight leash.
Lockie Ferguson (3 for 59 in 10 overs) was the most successful bowler for New Zealand, while Colin de Grandhomme (1/33 in 10 overs) turned out to be the most economical.
De Grandhomme and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (1/45 in 9 overs) maintained tight discipline during the middle overs and did not allow any opposition batsmen to get away.
Van der Dussen and David Miller (36 off 37 balls) added 72 runs for the fifth wicket in 12.2 overs but facing a must-win situation, South Africa could never really up the ante. Van der Dussen hit two fours and three sixes while Miller hit two boundaries and a six.
The last nine overs produced 72 runs after Faf Du Plessis (23) added 50 with Amla, who completed 8000 ODI runs and became second fastest to complete the feat. Trent Boult castled Quinton de Kock early in the innings and Matt Henry (0/34 in 10 overs) bowled tight lines from the other end after New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first. Du Plessis was yorked by Ferguson and Amla was bowled by a classical left-arm spinners delivery that hit the top of off stump.
SCOREBOARD:
South Africa
Quinton de Kock b Boult 5
Hashim Amla b Santner 55
Faf du Plessis b Ferguson 23
Markram c Munro
b Grandhomme 38
Rassie van der Dussen not out 67
David Miller c Boult b Ferguson 36
Phehlukwayo c Williamson
b Ferguson 0
Morris not out 6
Extras: 11;
Total: 241-6 (49)
Fall of wickets: 9-1, 59-2, 111-3,
136-4; 208-5,
Phehlukwayo 218-6
Bowling: Matt Henry 10-2-34-0
Trent Boult 10-0-63-1
Ferguson 10-0-59-3
Grandhomme 10-0-33-1
Santner 9-0-45-1