Proteas cruise to win over New Zealand
Wayne Parnell took his first five-wicket haul in international cricket
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Thursday, 24, Sep 2009 04:13
By Huw Davies.
South Africa got their ICC Champions Trophy campaign back on track with a thumping five-wicket win over New Zealand at Centurion.
The Proteas cruised to victory, passing a modest target of 215 with nearly nine overs to spare. The tournament hosts had lost to Sri Lanka by a whopping 55 runs according to the Duckworth/Lewis Method in Tuesday's curtain-raiser, but put in a much more assured performance against an underwhelming New Zealand side.
Leading the way was AB de Villiers, whose confident performance with the bat helped the South Africans to reach a modest target. The wicketkeeper-turned-specialist-batsman controlled the run chase from his new number 4 berth, finishing with an unfinished 70 from 76 balls.
He was supported by Mark Boucher (a run-a-ball 28) and Albie Morkel, who hurried to 19 not out from just 14 balls. The hosts were keen to improve their run rate in the tournament after failing to secure a good rate against Sri Lanka. Even after this match, though, it is in the red.
Earlier in the South African innings, Hashim Amla amassed a slow but steady 38 and Jacques Kallis raced to 36 from 39 balls. No one fired with the ball for the opposition, with only captain Daniel Vettori (1-34) conceding runs at less than five runs an over.
The main reason for South Africa's win, though, was Wayne Parnell's man of the match-winning effort with the ball. Parnell took his first ever five-wicket haul in international cricket, his 5-57 justifying South Africa's decision to again field first, after failing to chase a total against Sri Lanka.
Despite an excellent 72 from Ross Taylor, supported by Brendan McCullum (44) and Grant Elliott (39), New Zealand never looked capable of setting a significant total. As well as struggling against Parnell, the Kiwis had no answer to the Saffers' spin sensation Roelef van der Merwe, who took 2-35.
New Zealand were bowled out for 214, which was never going to be enough - and de Villiers made sure of that.