SA will have to think again
Posted on
February 17, 2012 by
Ken
The blow-by-blow updates for South Africa 1st T20 against New Zealand in Wellington –
South Africa will have to think again after New Zealand beat them by six wickets with four balls to spare in the first T20 international at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.
20th over – Six runs are needed for victory off the final over to be bowled by off-spinner Johan Botha. James Franklin drives the first ball to long-on, who is too wide, and the batsmen get two runs. The left-hander then cracks a full ball outside off stump through the covers for the winning four.
19th over – Zimbabwe-born Colin de Grandhomme is out for just two as he skies a heave at a short ball from Morne Morkel to Richard Levi at deep midwicket.
18th over – Martin Guptill is felled as he misses a hook at a short ball from Rusty Theron, but responds by flat-batting the next ball high over mid-on for four.
17th over – Super batting by Kane Williamson as he frees his arms and slices a short, bouncy delivery outside off stump from Morne Morkel up and over point for four. <b>WICKET</b> – But Williamson is run out for 24 off the next ball as he pushes Morkel into the leg-side, brother Albie runs in and scores a fine direct hit at the bowler’s end.
15th over – Williamson pounces on a delivery from JP Duminy that is just a fraction short, pulling it for four. Two balls later, Williamson comes down the pitch and drives the off-spinner between long-on and cow-corner for a one-bounce four.
13th over – <b>WICKET</b> – Duminy comes on and strikes with his second ball – Brendon McCullum (16) tries to cut, but there is a bit of turn and he inside-edges the ball on to his pad, from where it ricochets into his stumps. Guptill shows McCullum what he should have done as he neatly cuts the last ball of the over for four.
10th over – Guptill goes to a 36-ball half-century with a majestic straight hit for six off Morne Morkel – that was like a Lee Westwood drive straight 320 metres down the middle of the fairway!
9th over – Johan Botha drops a bit short and Guptill pulls viciously over midwicket for four.
8th over – <b>WICKET</b> – Theron enters the attack and strikes with his first ball! Rob Nicol comes down the pitch and chips the ball back over the bowler’s head, Hashim Amla takes a beautiful catch running from long-on. Nicol is out for 13.
6th over – Lonwabo Tsotsobe drops short and Guptill heaves a big six over midwicket. Three balls later, Tsotsobe bowls a slower ball in the slot and Guptill monsters an even bigger six – that’s into the trusses of the roof of The Cake Tin!
4th over – Nicol gets his first boundary as he slaps a short and wide delivery from Tsotsobe straight down the ground.
3rd over – Guptill launches into the first two balls of Albie Morkel’s second over, slicing a four over the overs and then bashing a shortish delivery over wide mid-on for six.
2nd over – Guptill gets going as he stands tall and slaps Tsotsobe through mid-off for four.
South Africa innings
Johan Botha and Albie Morkel took South Africa to 147 for six in their 20 overs in the first T20 international against New Zealand at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.
20th over – An important boundary for South Africa as Botha flicks a sweep from outside off stump behind square-leg for four off Kyle Mills. The next ball is in a similar place and Botha launches it superbly through the hands of a leaping Nathan McCullum at long-off for six.
18th over – Good innovation by JP Duminy sees him start Tim Southee’s final over with successive boundaries. The left-hander begins by paddling a full ball outside off stump up and over short fine-leg for four. Duminy then gives himself some room to leg and slices another full delivery through the covers for another boundary. <b>WICKET</b> – The bowler has the last laugh, however, as he sends down a good bouncer, which Duminy tries to hook, but top-edges to Mills at fine leg. Duminy’s 41 off 37 balls was a very important innings for South Africa.
17th over – Mills bowls a full toss outside off stump and Albie Morkel slaps it through the covers for four.
16th over – <b>WICKET</b> – More exceptional fielding by New Zealand gets rid of Justin Ontong. Southee is back in the attack and his second ball is in the blockhole and Ontong chips it back to the bowler, who takes a magnificent low return catch in his follow-through. Ontong scored 32 off 17 balls, providing the innings with a vital boost towards respectability.
15th over – Awesome batting by Ontong as he ends Kane Williamson’s over with four successive sixes! Ontong, who should have been given out for seven in the previous over when he edged a sweep at Rob Nicol, comes down the pitch to the third ball of the over and slog-sweeps it for a majestic six. Ontong is down the wicket again to the next ball, which is a full toss, and pulls it for a flat six. The next ball is flatter but too short and Ontong heaves it again over midwicket, before the off-spinner pushes the last ball of the over wide outside off stump, but the batsman reads it and slaps it over long-on for six more!
9th over – <b>WICKET</b> – AB de Villiers, who was fortunate to survive a stumping referral off the brothers McCullum before had scored, slaps a delivery from left-arm spinner Roneel Hira with tremendous power to short extra cover. But the brilliant Martin Guptill snaps up a beauty, low to the turf. A disbelieving De Villiers, who scored just eight off 17 balls, doesn’t believe the catch was taken cleanly but the South African captain is sent on his way after a television referral.
6th over – <b>WICKET</b> – Southee is brought into the attack and his first ball to Richard Levi is a bouncer, which the debutant tries to hook, misses and is struck on the helmet. Two balls later, Levi steps outside leg-stump, but Southee follows him and a cramped drive is skewed to long-on. Levi is out for 13 off 12 balls.
5th over – <b>WICKET</b> – Colin Ingram is out for a duck as he comes down the pitch to his second ball and tries a big drive, but a good delivery from Nathan McCullum turns nicely away from the bat and Ingram is stumped after Brendon McCullum takes the ball on the rebound.
4th over – And now Mills concedes the first six of the match as Hashim Amla launches a slower ball over the covers for six. <b>WICKET</b> – Amla smashes the next ball straight back at Mills, the ball bursting through his hands and coming to rest next to the popping crease. Amla decides to sneak a quick single, but is beaten by a superb piece of fielding by Martin Guptill, who sprints in from mid-off and slides into the stumps to complete the run out. Amla looked good in scoring 19 off 15 balls, with two fours and a six. But it’s an expensive over for Mills as Levi swings the next ball over midwicket for six and ends the over by hooking a bouncer for a one-bounce four.
3rd over – Another wonderful shot by Hashim Amla as he steps away from the ball bowled around the wicket by off-spinner Nathan McCullum, and lashes it off the back foot from off-stump, through the covers for four.
2nd over – The first boundary of the innings off the 11th ball and a super shot too by Amla, who drives Mills on the up, over the covers for four.