New Zealand stun South Africa to reach World Cup semifinal

New Zealand players celebrate defeating South Africa in their World Cup quarterfinal match in Mirpur. (Reuters Photo)
NEW DELHI: South Africa lived up to the chokers tag when they crashed to a 49-run defeat against New Zealand in their World Cup quarterfinal clash at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

Chasing a victory target of 222 runs, South Africa were bowled out for 172 in 43.2 overs as Jacob Oram took four wickets and Nathan McCullum chipped in with three wickets.

Oram took his fourth wicket when he had Faf du Plessis caught by Tim Southee in the covers.

South Africa lost their eighth wicket when McCullum had Dale Steyn caught by Oram in the covers.

Oram dismissed Johan Botha and Robin Peterson in his successive overs to reduce South Africa to 132/7 in 34.2 overs.

Oram first clean bowled Botha with a slower delivery and his in next over had Peterson caught behind by Brendon McCullum as South Africa continued to slide from a position of strength that started when AB de Villiers and Jean Paul Duminy fell in one over.

McCullum gave New Zealand the fourth breakthrough when he clean bowled Duminy and two balls later, de Villiers was run out by a good throw from Martin Guptill straight into the hands of wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum who whipped off the bails in a flash before a diving de Villiers could make his ground and suddenly, from comfortably placed at 108/3, South Africa looked in trouble at 121/5.

Jacob Oram took a superb running catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Jacques Kallis off Tim Southee.

Kallis hit 47 runs off 75 balls before his dismissal.

This was after Oram had Graeme Smith caught by substitute Jamie How at backward point to place South Africa at 69/2.

The wicket broke the 61-run stand between Smith and Jacques Kallis who steadied the South African innings after the early dismissal of Hashim Amla who was dismissed by Nathan McCullum in the first over.

Amla tried to cut a delivery but edged it onto the shoes of wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum from where it went to first slip where Daniel Vettori took a simple catch.

Earlier, South Africa produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict New Zealand to a modest 221/8.

Morne Morkel (3/46) was the pick of the South African bowlers while Dale Steyn (2/42) and Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir (2/32) snared two wickets apiece to stop the Kiwis way behind the 250-run mark.

For New Zealand, Jesse Ryder starred with the bat with a gritty 83 off 121 balls during which he struck just eight boundaries. He added a vital 114 runs with Ross Taylor (43 off 72) for the third wicket to help the Kiwis recover after they were reduced to 16/2 at one stage.

Towards the end, Kane Williamson came up with crucial 41-ball 38-run knock to take New Zealand beyond the 200-run mark.

Electing to bat, New Zealand lost both their openers -- Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill cheaply inside the first six overs.

McCullum was the first to depart brilliantly caught by Robin Peterson off his own bowling in the third over and then two overs later Guptill gave a simple catch to Johan Botha at mid-off after he was foxed by a Dale Steyn slower delivery.

With their side looking down the barrel at 16/2 for two after six overs, Ryder and Taylor rose to the occasion and stitched the crucial 114-run stand that came off 162 balls to steady New Zealand's rocking ship.

Regarded as hard-hitters, both Ryder and Taylor curbed their natural instinct and played sensibly with ones and twos with occasional boundaries in between to resurrect the Kiwi innings.

Ryder seemed determined for a big score as he played a controlled innings to notch up his maiden World Cup half century in 70 balls.

But three quick wickets in a span of 26 runs, including that of Taylor and Ryder, shattered the Kiwi innings, which during middle of the innings looked well in course for a 250-plus score when the two set batsmen were at the crease.

Taylor, after a sedate start, opened up with slog-sweep six off Peterson. But in search of one too many he perished in the next over when he was holed out by Kallis at the square-leg boundary off Tahir to draw curtains on the dangerous-looking partnership.

And then Scott Styris (16) and Ryder followed suit in consecutive overs to put brakes on New Zealand's scoring.

While Styris played on to a Morne Morkel delivery in the 37th over, Tahir got the big wicket of Ryder as he mishit one to substitute Colin Ingram.

Kane Williamson and Nathan McCullum then shared 32 runs for the sixth wicket before the later was caught by Duminy off Steyn.

Willamson, however, kept the New Zealand scoreboard ticking even as Morkel cleaned up Jacob Oram and captain Daniel Vettori in the 49th over.

Largely riding on Williamson's willow, New Zealand scored 47 runs in the last six overs, which included 37 runs of the batting powerplay.

New Zealand took the batting powerplay in the 44th over and scored 37 runs off the five overs for the loss of three wickets.

Source: TOI