In a Group D clash in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Marco Jansen struck for South Africa and chipped away at the wickets to peg things back against New Zealand. South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first and New Zealand got off to a flier led by Finn Allen. But Marco Jansen bounced back for South Africa’s point of view and Keshav Maharaj got into the act as well. This is an entertaining start to the contest.
Marco Jansen strikes thrice to give South Africa the upper hand in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, wicket-keeper batter Tim Seifert opened the batting with Finn Allen while Lungi Ngidi had ball in hand for South Africa. Seifert and New Zealand got off the mark with a boundary with an outside edge down to deep third man fence. Ngidi came back and closed out the over well. Kagiso Rabada came into the attack from the other end He bowled a decent first over as well.
Ngidi continued as Allen reached out and threw his hands at it and sliced over backward point for a boundary. Allen hit another boundary as he slashed it away over point for a boundary. Seifert survived a close run out appeal at the bowler’s end. Allen then took on Ngidi and launched it away over long-on for the maximum. Allen again hit a boundary by flicking it past short fine leg for a boundary.
Marco Jansen came into the attack next. Seifert welcomed him with a slam down the ground over long-on for the maximum. But Jansen came back and removed Seifert for 13 off 9 balls with one four and one six to his name. Jansen bowled a short of a length delivery outside the leg stump with extra bounce off the surface. Seifert backed away down the leg side as the batter swung really hard and was late on the swipe as the ball got big on him and he got an outside edge where the keeper Quinton de Kock took the catch.
Rachin Ravindra came out to bat next. Allen opened the face of the bat and steered it away past short third and away for a boundary. Allen then took on the short ball and pulled it away over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Rabada continued as Ravindra sliced it away over covers for a boundary as the 50 came up for New Zealand in 4.5 overs.
Jansen came to bowl the last over of powerplay as Ravindra shuffled on the off-side and got inside the line to help it on its way over long leg for the maximum. But Jansen hit back and got rid of Ravindra for 13 off 8 balls with one four and one six to his name. The good length outside the off-stump. Ravindra got half forward and looked to drive it straight, it was not in the driving arc and found a thick outside edge as the ball flew to the short third man fielder. Miller took a great two-handed catch. Drinks was taken after which Glenn Phillips came to bat.
Jansen got another as he dismissed Allen for 31 off 17 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. It was a smart change of pace from Jansen. He floated it full and outside the off-stump as Allen’s eyes lit up on seeing it in the arc as he got forward and looked to play a lofted drive over mid-off but was early through the stroke. The bat turned in his hands on the impact and he miscued it to mid-off as Markram dived and completed the catch. Mark Chapman came out to bat next.
At the end of the powerplay, New Zealand were 58/3 in 6 overs with both Chapman and Phillips yet to get off the mark.
Glenn Phillips falls but New Zealand make steady progress in the next 4 overs.Â
Keshav Maharaj came into the attack post the powerplay. Chapman got down on one knee and swept it in front of square for a boundary at deep midwicket region. Maharaj got rid of Phillips for 1 off 3 balls. Maharaj bowled a full and outside off-stump delivery the arm ball coming back in. Phillips lunged forward and looked to drive through extra covers and he was not to the pitch of the ball and got an inside edge and it deflected back into the leg stump.
Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. Chapman launched into Maharaj by pulling it over cow corner for the maximum. Corbin Bosch came into the attack next. Mitchell cleared his front leg and lofted over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Maharaj continued as Chapman rocked back and dragged the pull shot through deep midwicket for a boundary.
Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack to bowl the 10th over. He bowled a decent over. New Zealand at the halfway stage of the game were 92/4 in 10 overs with Chapman unbeaten on 21 off 11 balls while Mitchell was unbeaten on 12 off 12 balls.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The match is in the balance at the halfway stage of the game. New Zealand have got the runs while South Africa have got 4 wickets. The pitch looks flat and so 200+ will be needed from here. The game is in the balance and can go either ways from here. Let’s see how things pan out here.
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