Williamson guides NZ to narrow win over SAfrica

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Proteas virtually out of running for semifinal spot

BIRMINGHAM, England, June 19, (RTRS): Captain Kane Williamson’s patient unbeaten century led New Zealand to a tense fourwicket victory over South Africa in a low-scoring Cricket World Cup match at Edgbaston on Wednesday. Chasing 242 to win a match reduced to 49 overs a side by rain, New Zealand looked set to comfortably reach the target with Martin Guptill and Williamson at the crease.

But South Africa fast bowler Chris Morris picked up three wickets to leave New Zealand struggling at 137- 5 before Williamson (106 not out) and Colin de Grandhomme (60) shared a 91-run partnership. De Grandhomme fell before the end but Williamson reached his century with a six in the final over and guided New Zealand to their fourth win of the tournament with three balls to spare.

Earlier, South Africa’s batsmen apart from Hashim Amla and Rassie van der Dussen failed to build on starts after being put into bat in the face of a disciplined bowling effort from the Kiwis. Amla was bowled for 55 by Mitchell Santner but Van der Dussen’s unbeaten 67 off 64 balls gave the South Africans a respectable total to defend. The result left South Africa, who have won only one match, virtually out of the running for a semi-final spot while New Zealand kept their unbeaten run intact to move to the top of the standings with four wins in five games.

India’s opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the rest of their World Cup campaign after fracturing his thumb earlier in the tournament, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said on Wednesday. Dhawan sustained the injury against Australia but continued to play on, scoring a match-winning century. However, he did not take the field for the second innings. Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar had said last week that they would make a call on Dhawan’s injury after he was rested against New Zealand and Pakistan but the BCCI said his hand would need to remain in a cast until the middle of July.

“Shikhar Dhawan has been diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal on his left hand following a ball impact injury during the team’s second match versus Australia at the Oval on 5th June 2019,” BCCI said in a statement. “Following several specialist opinions, he will remain in a cast until the middle of July and therefore will not be available for the remainder of the World Cup.” Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was fl own in as a cover and joined the team before Sunday’s victory against Pakistan, is set to be named as Dhawan’s replacement.

India play Afghanistan next on Saturday at The Rose Bowl. Meanwhile Bangladesh’s outstanding run chase against West Indies has given them the confidence to beat any team in the World Cup, captain Mashrafe Mortaza said ahead of Thursday’s clash with in-form Australian at Trent Bridge. Bangladesh overhauled West Indies’ total of 321 with 51 balls to spare on Monday. They also beat South Africa and lie fifth in the standings, well in contention for a semi-final spot with four matches to go. “That was a must-win game for us to stay in the tournament. I know a few players in our dressing-room who believe we can beat anybody,” Mashrafe told reporters on Wednesday. “Again, Australia is very difficult (to beat) but it’s not impossible.

 If you have a good start you never know, so let’s see.” Bangladesh’s one-day international record against Australia has been poor, however, with only one win in 21 games against the defending champions who have won four of their first five games. Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have taken a combined 24 wickets in the World Cup and Mashrafe said Bangladesh will be wary of them. “I think the Australian bowling attack has a lot of variation,” Mashrafe said. “They have Pat Cummins, who can bowl with a change of pace. I think they have some good spinners. There’s Nathan Lyon (and Adam) Zampa.

“So it won’t be easy like the other matches but confidence is the main thing… If we took that confidence into the ground and deliver to our best, you never know.” Bangladesh will count on allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is the tournament’s leading scorer with 384 runs, and Mashrafe said the rest of the team must take a cue from his matchwinning performances. “Shakib is brilliant,” Mashrafe added. “Hopefully, he’ll keep going. The way he’s playing, I think we need to support him well as a team. “(The) bowlers have to step up a little bit with what Shakib is doing.

It’s going to be a good batting track. Our bowlers have to… bowl really well to restrict the Australians.” Australia have no special plans for Bangladesh’s batsmen ahead of Thursday’s World Cup match at Trent Bridge, but dismissing the in-form Shakib Al Hasan early on could hold the key to victory, wicketkeeper Alex Carey said on Wednesday. All-rounder Shakib’s second straight ton in the tournament helped Bangladesh pull off the second highest successful World Cup run chase to seal a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies on Monday.

The victory kept fifth-placed Bangladesh firmly in the hunt for a semifinal berth ahead of their next match against second-placed Australia and the holders have identified Shakib and Liton Das as the players who could make the difference. “Bangladesh are playing really good cricket at the moment and it’s led by Shakib. So we’ve put our time into Shakib and all the players at the top of the order as well as their bowling,” Carey told reporters. “I think he (Shakib) is probably in the best form (of his career) with the white ball.

So we sort of know the areas and line and length we want to bowl to him and out there we’ll assess the conditions… no extra planning. “…We’d love to get him out early… he’s in great form… Liton Das played an incredible innings. We’ve gone through the batting list and hopefully plans go accordingly.” Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 87 runs in their last match to make it four wins from five games but Carey said they were still not firing on all cylinders.

“We’re playing really good cricket… the top of the order, batting-wise, have done a lot of the work and making a lot of the runs which is great,” he added. “But there’s little areas we can do better at. Obviously Sri Lanka came out and played really well in the first 10 overs. So we’d like to take wickets up front. There’s been times where we would like to finish the innings off with a bat.

New Zealand vs South Africa Scoreboard

LONDON June 19, (RTRS): Scoreboard at close of play of match 25 between New Zealand and South Africa on Wednesday at Birmingham,

EnglandNew Zealand win by 4 wickets

SOUTH AFRICA

Q. de Kock b Trent Boult …………………………… 5

H. Amla b Mitchell Santner ………………………. 55

F. du Plessis b Lockie Ferguson ………………. 23

A. Markram c C. Munro b Grandhomme ……. 38

R. van der Dussen Not out ………………………. 67

D. Miller c T. Boult b L. Ferguson ……………… 36

A. Phehlukwayo c K. Williamson b L. Ferguson … 0

Chris Morris Not Out …………………………………. 6

Extras: 0b 7lb 0nb 0pen 4w ……………………… 11

Total (49.0 overs) ……………………………… 241-6

Fall of Wickets: 1-9 de Kock, 2-59 du Plessis,

3-111 Amla, 4-136 Markram, 5-208 Miller,

6-218 PhehlukwayoDid Not Bat: Rabada, Tahir,

Ngidi Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex Matt

Henry 10 2 34 0 3.40 Trent Boult 10 0 63 1 6.30

1w Lockie Ferguson 10 0 59 3 5.90 3 Colin de

Grandhomme 10 0 33 1 3.30 Mitchell Santner 9

0 45 1 5.00

NEW ZEALAND

M. Guptill Hit Wicket b Andile Phehlukwayo .. 35

C. Munro c&b Kagiso Rabada ……………………. 9

Kane Williamson Not Out ………………………. 106

R. Taylor c Quinton de Kock b Chris Morris …. 1

T. Latham c Quinton de Kock b Chris Morris… 1

J. Neesham c Hashim Amla b Chris Morris … 23

Grandhomme c F. du Plessis b L. Ngidi …….. 60

M. Santner Not Out…………………………………… 2

Extras: 0b 1lb 1nb 0pen 6w ………………………. 8

Total (48.3 overs) ……………………………… 245-6

Fall of Wickets: 1-12 Munro, 2-72 Guptill,

3-74 Taylor, 4-80 Latham, 5-137 Neesham,

6-228 de GrandhommeDid Not Bat: Henry, Ferguson,

Boult Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex

Kagiso Rabada 10 0 42 1 4.20 1w Lungi Ngidi 10

1 47 1 4.70 2w Chris Morris 10 0 49 3 4.90 Andile

Phehlukwayo 8.3 0 73 1 8.59 3w 1nb Imran Tahir

10 0 33 0 3.30

Umpire: Nigel Llong Umpire Ian Gould Video

Rodney Tucker Match Referee Richard Richardson

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