New Zealand: 221 / 8 after their 50 overs
South Africa: 172 after 43.1 overs
New Zealand won by 49 runs
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first.
Mirpur – Steady, rather than spectacular.
That is what South African captain Graeme Smith expects from his team when they come up against New Zealand in their World Cup quarter-final on Friday.
“Up until now each one of the guys has contributed very well and seen that the pieces of the jigsaw fit perfectly,” Smith said on Thursday.
“It’s important that we keep on being as calculated and calm as we were in the group matches. Nobody has to do anything flashy now.”
Smith believes the fight for a place in the semi-finals would already have started around the selectors’ table – long before the South Africans walk onto the field at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.
With the Pakistani spinners having wreaked havoc in the first quarter-final against the West Indies on the same pitch, the selectors are likely to debate the make-up of the team until Friday morning.
South Africa may decide to use all three spinners after Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez took eight of the Windies’ wickets in the islanders’ disastrous innings of 112.
In such an event there will be space for only six specialist batsmen, with AB de Villiers set to be used as a wicketkeeper.
De Villiers, who is South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the tournament, handed the gloves to Morné van Wyk early in the tournament after exacerbating a back injury.
If the Proteas management do not want to risk him, Van Wyk will keep his place and one of Robin Peterson, Imran Tahir and Johan Botha will carry drinks.
Botha is the likely victim. While the vice-captain has hardly put a foot wrong, he has only been able to take two wickets against the 14 of Peterson and 12 of Tahir.
“It’s never easy to pick a team, but it can become a nightmare when everybody plays so well. But it’s a good position to be in because we know that every player will do his bit,” said Smith.
“Imran is a major asset for us and undoubtedly our most attacking spinner. And, even though Robbie has been part of the team for a very long time, the confidence we placed in him has done wonders for him over the last six months.”
Smith believes that the two can play an important role against a New Zealand batting line-up that at times in the tournament has looked extremely suspect against spin bowling.
“Their ability to take wickets in the middle of opponents’ innings’ has been one of our strengths to date,” he said.
“We’re not used to spinners playing such an important part in South Africa and that is why it’s fantastic that they can come here and show what they can do.”
The Kiwis have been boosted with the news that captain Daniel Vettori will be fit for the game.
“We have not had a great tournament, but any game against South Africa is a big one for us,” said Vettori.
“If each one of the batsmen in our top five can do their bit, and we are disciplined with the ball and in the field, we will have a good chance.”
NL McCullum to du Plessis, OUT
AB de Villiers run out 35 (40b 4×4 0x6) SR: 87.50
Can we win this?
We are going to lose this one , can someone brave just moer us out of our fate. Hell just listen this time to me
@ superBul:93 – Super this is disappointing. Went out after bowled to come back and see us 5 DAMN WICKETS DOWN. With not enough runs yet. We will not win this. I had said yesterday on keo to some bloggers we can’t take the kiwis for granted. They can beat any team on their day. We let em get to many runs. This was gonna always be a tough pitch to bat on 2nd.
Man if we lose this I will never ever watch the Proteas again. Have had enough of being let down.
Faf better get us out of this, all his bloody big talk in the week. They must ban interviews with player during a tournament.
Even the Bulls are talking too much. I was always proud to say about the Bulls, they do the talking on the field. Nowadays they talk on facebook, twitter ….. and lose their concentration.
Getting run out is unforgivable. Jeepers feel disappointed.
Come on Proteas.
Puma wrote:
forget it you will watch again, you are like me. We just Love the stress.
@ Puma:
I think all the hype about how fast AB, JP and FAF is is getting to their heads. Why did FAF call that run, maybe because he thinks too much about his speed.
You missed that dismissal , Puma? After the dismissal the Kiwis stormed Faf and congratulated him on running AB out. It led to AB turning back and protect his mate. Great tactic by NZ to put Faf more under pressure but bad for the spirit of the game
Oram to Botha, OUT
J Botha b Oram 2 (10b 0x4 0x6) SR: 20.00
Just look at it we are sitting ducks again, GO NZ finish the bloody chokers.
Well that is us done.
Will say now congrats to NZ.
@ superBul:99 – I say so too Super.
GO NZ.
Guys, why do I get feeling I’ve seen this all before?
even if dale gets a fast 20 , they left him with too much
@ fender:
Fender we will always lose if we play with this attitude. We must attack. Like Australia did in their heydays. Even when they were 5 down for 50 they just kept on in a positive mode.
@ superBul:103 – Tell me about it Super.
How can Steyn get a quick 20 and the rest fall so fast?
That is the last I watch us at a world cup ever. Have been let down far, far too much by the cricket at world cups.
Cheers Super out of here now.
GO NZ AND INDIA.
NL McCullum to Steyn, OUT
DW Steyn c Oram b NL McCullum 8 (18b 1×4 0x6) SR: 44.44
Jeez…ANOTHER CHOKE!!!!
@ Pam Anderson:
just playing stupid, where is Boucher and Ray Jennings. This team would have been more dissiplined
O kukkas!Hoop India wen, tog net nie die Engelse nie…
this is so unfair to the 9,10 and 11th batsman , they can be blamed for not getting 30 but to get 90 is far too much
Oram to du Plessis, OUT
F du Plessis c Southee b Oram 36 (43b 3×4 1×6) SR: 83.72
New Zealand beats us by 49 runs , a massive thrashing
M Morkel c sub (JM How) b Woodcock 3 (17b 0x4 0x6) SR: 17.64
The Black Caps huddle together like excited schoolboys. Vettori, Oram, Guptill, they have all been at their best on the field. Strength to them, for having turned things around in one of the venues where they were depressingly hammered by Bangladesh, not too long ago. Smith looks completely distraught. What a tragic end to his memorable stint as South Africa’s one-day captain.
Nathan McCullum: “Fantastic result. Jesse showed some great character, the way we bowled and fielded was outstanding.”
ek wonder of daar ok four more years gechant word? Blerrie choakers
Fall of wickets
1-8 (Amla, 0.6 ov),
2-69 (Smith, 14.2 ov),
3-108 (Kallis, 24.1 ov),
4-121 (Duminy, 27.4 ov),
5-121 (de Villiers, 27.6 ov),
6-128 (Botha, 32.5 ov),
7-132 (Peterson, 34.2 ov),
8-146 (Steyn, 37.4 ov),
9-172 (du Plessis, 42.5 ov),
10-172 (Morkel, 43.2 ov)
3de, 4de , 5de, 6de en 7de paaltjies het te gou na mekaar geval. Sad dat dit net soos in die Engeland game gebeur het.
Presentations
Smith: “No words to describe how I feel. Just have to take it on the chin.. Very disappointing evening. I thought we bowled pretty well. Credit to Jesse Ryder. At 100 for 2, we were sitting well, and then we lost too many wickets. The stand between Jesse and Taylor kept them in good stead, but we kept them to 220, which is very gettable. We lost too many wickets.. Your guess is as good as mine (as to who we keep losing in World Cup knockouts), its been happening since 1992.”
We have got some big positives out of the World Cup. We weren’t good enough tonight, but we have to take it forward and not get bogged down. New coach and new captain … We are disappointed with tonight, and nothing I say is going to change that for fans back home.”
Presentations
Vettori: “Every single bowler stepped up today, and probably it was the fielding that got us through. Martin Guptill was exceptional. Once we got 220, we knew we had to be aggressive. We were hanging in there even when Kallis and AB were going. We wanted 250 on this pitch. We lost some wickets, and scrapped through to 220. We knew it was a tricky wicket, and knew it was going to be an old-school one-day game. That’s the sort of game we like to play. Once we got de Villiers and Kallis, we were back in it. The run out of de Villiers was an amazing piece of work.”
We are pretty happy to be in the semis, and will be glued to the tv to see how the wicket in Colombo plays tomorrow.”
I reckon that the Proteas should be brought before the TRC and charged with crimes against the South African nation. The morotorium being that if each and every one of them pleads guilty to serial choking, we will let them off on condition that they never come close to a cricket pitch again.
Anybody got Desmond Tutu’s contact details?
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