New Zealand put in a brilliant performance in the first semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa by 9 wickets after a one-sided encounter to qualify for the final. The match played in Kolkata proved to be a fine example of batting where the Kiwi batters left the Proteas bowlers helpless.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first and scored 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. The Proteas’ innings started off disappointingly, and the top order seemed to be completely ineffective. Captain Adam Markram was dismissed for 18 runs while Quinton de Kock could only score 10 runs. David Miller was dismissed for 6 runs, and Ryan Rickelton was dismissed without scoring a run.
South Africa came under pressure after the early loss, but the lower order showed responsibility. Marco Janssen batted brilliantly and scored an unbeaten 55 runs to take the team to a defendable total. His innings included aggressive strokes that balanced the match to some extent. Dewald Brewis played a crucial innings of 34 runs while Tristan Stubbs added 29 runs.
For New Zealand, Cole McConkie, Matt Henry and Rachan Ravindra took two wickets each, while Lockie Ferguson and Jimmy Neesham took one wicket each. The Kiwi bowlers showed excellent control in the middle overs and prevented South Africa from making a big score.
Chasing a target of 170 runs, New Zealand started aggressively. Opener Finn Allen showed brilliant batting and scored an unbeaten century in just 33 balls. His innings was studded with 10 fours and 8 sixes, and he played attractive shots all around the field. Allen’s devastating batting put the South African bowling line under complete pressure.
Tim Seifert also batted well and played a major role in the team’s success by scoring 58 runs, although he was the only batsman to be dismissed. Rachan Ravindra remained not out with 13 runs and supported Allen in leading the team to victory. New Zealand achieved the target with 43 balls to spare for the loss of just one wicket, which is considered an extraordinary performance in a big competition like the semi-final.
With this magnificent victory, New Zealand has made its place in the final of the tournament. According to cricket experts, the Kiwi team’s balanced bowling and aggressive batting make them strong candidates to win the title. On the other hand, the South African team once again looked under pressure in the knockout stage and could not fulfil the dream of reaching the final.
This semi-final played at the Kolkata ground provided the fans with a lot of entertainment; however, the result was completely in favour of New Zealand. Now the eyes of the cricket world are focused on the final, where the Kiwi team will enter the field to win the trophy.
