Ken Borland

South Africa had a sporting chance as they restricted New Zealand to 173 for four in the second T20 international at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.

20th over – Marchant de Lange follows up Wayne Parnell’s excellent penultimate over with a fine one of his own. The only blemish though is the fifth ball, which is too short and Kane Williamson slogs it over midwicket for six.

18th over – Williamson now gets in on the act as he smears the first ball of Morne Morkel’s over for six over square-leg and then steps outside off stump and paddles the fast bowler past fine-leg for four. WICKET – But Morkel strikes back with a delivery in the blockhole outside off stump, which the left-handed Franklin tries to steer to third man, but he edges it behind to AB de Villiers. Franklin’s 28 off 10 balls was a terrific boost for New Zealand though.

17th over – Four sixes off five balls by Franklin as he launches JP Duminy straight back over his head for six and then heaves a massive blow over midwicket and out the ground!

16th over – Franklin drives De Lange off the back foot, straight back over his head for six. The next ball is short and Franklin steps away and cuts it over backward point for another six!

15th over – Johan Botha is bowling around the wicket and Brendon McCullum comes down the pitch and punches the off-spinner with great power through a diving Duminy at long-on for four. WICKET – But Botha strikes back next ball. McCullum is down the pitch again, but Botha drags the ball back and the batsman slaps it to cow corner, where Justin Ontong takes a good catch running in. McCullum was looking dangerous on 35 off 31 balls.

14th over – Morne Morkel deceives McCullum with two slower balls, but the New Zealand captain responds with a phenomenal shot, walking down the pitch and flicking the fast bowler over long-on for six!

12th over – De Lange returns and just misses the yorker with his first ball, McCullum clipping the low full toss through midwicket for four. De Lange’s second ball is wide down leg, as is his fifth ball. WICKET – But his next ball forces the duck-hook from Guptill, skying a top-edge to Albie Morkel at fine-leg. Guptill falls just short of an eighth successive half-century, out for another impressive 47 off 35 balls, with seven fours and a six.

11th over – A good over by Duminy is ruined by a full toss off the last ball, which Guptill drives wide of long-on, Botha doesn’t pick it up and it goes for four.

10th over – Good shot by Guptill as he short-arm jabs Morne Morkel over midwicket for four.

9th over – A tidy over from Botha forces the big shot by Guptill. The off-spinner fires in a quicker ball, but it disappears even quicker over wide long-on as Guptill uses his powerful golf swing to good effect, collecting his first six.

8th over – Wayne Parnell is introduced but his first ball is on the pads and clipped neatly away for four by Guptill. Parnell’s last two balls of the over are also down leg and flicked away for boundaries by McCullum.

6th over – Guptill slashes Lonwabo Tsotsobe over extra cover for four.

5th over – De Lange bowls his first over in T20 internationals and his extra pace has a hand in the first wicket. WICKET – Rob Nicol advances down the pitch and tries to pull, but is beaten by the pace and the ball comes off his body and rolls just behind the stumps. Guptill calls Nicol through for an ill-judged quick single because the batsman is worried about the ball rolling back on to his stumps. Wicketkeeper De Villiers is up in a flash and scores a brilliant direct hit at the bowler’s end! Nicol is run out for 23 off 17 balls. De Lange’s next ball is also shortish on leg-stump and Guptill glances it away for four.

4th over – Successive boundaries now for Guptill as he stands tall and bashes Tsotsobe with immense power through mid-off for four and then whips the left-arm seamer off the bottom edge of the bat, through backward square-leg for four more.

3rd over – There seems to be pace and bounce in this pitch and Morkel is brought on. But Nicol is immediately on the charge and slogs his first ball over cow corner for six! Two balls later, Morkel slides on to the pads and is flicked away for four past short fine leg.

2nd over – Rob Nicol hops down the pitch to a full and wide delivery outside off stump from Tsotsobe and slams it just over mid-off for four.

1st over – Off-spinner Botha opens the bowling and Nicol is down the pitch to his fourth ball, lofting it wide of mid-on for four.

The Zaagkuildrift to Kgomo-Kgomo road has such an evocative name – in fact, when I told one of my friends where I had been, he said I had made up the names!

But it was no fantasy, that partly cloudy, hot and humid day of January 26, with the route along the Pienaars River having a wonderfully tropical feel and the road still muddy and interrupted with deep puddles after recent heavy rain.

Having to negotiate the morning rush hour traffic of both Johannesburg and Pretoria meant I only started birding at 8.55am.

I began my adventure by mistakenly heading towards the railway station, but the detour did throw up Blackthroated Canary, Blackchested Prinia, Diederick Cuckoo, one of my favourite summer birds in the Woodland Kingfisher, and the first Steelblue Widowfinch I have seen in a long time. I also got Rattling Cisticola out of the way early on!

I had barely travelled two kilometres down the right road when my petrol light started showing about a hundred kilometres early, so it was back to Pienaarsrivier town for a refill and peace of mind.

On the third attempt I made it past the MCPA Dam and its hippo warnings and into the riverine bush. Highlights were House Martin, a Steppe Buzzard which insisted on returning to the telephone pole two ahead of the car before flying off again, the beautiful Melba Finch, Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver, good sighting of a Gabar Goshawk and Amur Falcon, Burchell’s and Wattled Starlings.

Apart from the excellent birding, the frustrated rally driver in me was having great fun taking on the mud and pools of water! But it seemed the fun would have to end when, perhaps a third of the way along the 26km route, I came to a gully where the road is closest to the Pienaars River.

A lengthy patch of mushy mud lay in front of a deep, wide pool of water and I decided I would not be able to generate enough speed through the mud to be sure of getting through the pond on the other side of it. So it was with a heavy heart that I turned back, before deciding to try and find a detour that would take me to the other side of the obstruction.

I headed back to the R101 and then turned off towards Syferkraal, from where I managed to find a road south to Walman and Tlovnane – the D1660 – that would hopefully join up again with the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road.

As much as I was revelling in God’s beautiful creation, it was also a reminder of a great spiritual truth: Often we are so set on the path that we want to go, and we get most upset if that way is blocked, but God has something much better in store. So it proved as the road from Syferkraal back to the Pienaars River produced some exceptional birding, including a LIFER!

The detour had already paid dividends as, on my way back past the MCPA Dam, I had spotted just my second ever Bluecheeked Bee-Eater.

Just outside of Syferkraal, I had stopped on the side of the road as there was plenty of activity in the Acacia woodland – Longtailed Paradise Whydah was showing off beautifully and there was also Marico Flycatcher and Chestnutvented Tit Babbler. But I had caught a glimpse of something else Whydah-like …

My first ever Shaft-tailed Whydah! A male in all his finery, like our very own bird of paradise, perching on the telephone line and showing off his wonderful tail.

My happiness only increased when I managed to get back on to the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road and just past Wolfhuiskraal Farm, I allowed my enthusiasm to get the better of me …

A shallow looking puddle lay across the road and I roared through it … unfortunately it was deeper than I expected and I was going a bit too fast, so as I exited the pond, the car cut out. I had managed to get water in the engine!

After 15 minutes of waiting, the car refusing to re-start, a gentleman in his bakkie arrived. I was practically out of the water and there was enough room on the right of me for him to get past, and I was hoping he could then use my tow-rope, give me a pull (not a tug) and I’d get started again.

Unfortunately he was not the adventurous sort and was afraid that he would get stuck in the mud! So he waited behind me with his lady friend …

Eventually, about half-an-hour later, two gents in a Landrover came along and, after some initial problems attaching the tow rope, I was back on the go again.

Unfortunately, it was shortlived because about two kilometres further down the road, there was another muddy stretch and deep puddle and I decided not to chance my arm because I’d already had enough excitement for one day!

So homewards I trekked, again via Syferkraal, and I managed to pick up a lovely group of Southern Pied Babbler (black & white can be so beautiful!), Kalahari Robin, Bluebilled & Redbilled Firefinch and, to end on a high note, a stunning Crimsonbreasted Shrike!

Even though my trip was disrupted, I had seen enough to know the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road is a place of mystical wonder. Next time I think I’ll start on the Kgomo-Kgomo side ….

Sightings list

Blackthroated Canary

Blackchested Prinia

Laughing Dove

Diederick Cuckoo

Woodland Kingfisher

Rattling Cisticola

Steelblue Widowfinch

Redbacked Shrike

European Swallow

House Martin

Whitethroated Swallow

Rufousnaped Lark

Redwinged Starling

Whitewinged Widow

Cape Turtle Dove

Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting

Steppe Buzzard

Helmeted Guineafowl

Spurwinged Goose

Blue Waxbill

Melba Finch

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver

Yellowfronted Canary

Gabar Goshawk

Amur Falcon

Forktailed Drongo

Longtailed Shrike

Spottedbacked Weaver

Glossy Starling

Redfaced Mousebird

Burchell’s Starling

Wattled Starling

African Jacana

Bluecheeked Bee-Eater

Cattle Egret

Crested Francolin

Little Swift

Crowned Plover

Longtailed Paradise Whydah

Shaft-Tailed Whydah

Marico Flycatcher

Chestnutvented Tit Babbler

Fantailed Cisticola

Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill

Spotted Flycatcher

European Bee-Eater

Southern Pied Babbler

Kalahari Robin

Bluebilled Firefinch

Natal Francolin

Redbilled Firefinch

Redbilled Woodhoopoe

Crimsonbreasted Shrike

Martin Guptill led a top-class all-round performance by New Zealand as they whipped South Africa by six wickets with four balls to spare in the first T20 international at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

Guptill slammed a fiery 78 not out off just 55 balls to lead New Zealand to their target of 148, after a superb bowling and fielding effort by the hosts had restricted South Africa to a mediocre 147 for six.

Guptill was a shining light in the field with a superb run-out and a splendid catch, and was a deserved man of the match.

The in-form Guptill devastated the South African bowlers with his clean-hitting power, and his crossbat shots were particularly vicious as he collected five fours and four sixes.

Fellow opener Rob Nicol scored 13 as they put on 49 for the first wicket in seven overs before Brendon McCullum (16) joined Guptill in a second-wicket stand of 41 in 5.1 overs that all but sealed the contest.

South African captain AB de Villiers was celebrating his 28th birthday, but he wore the same bemused expression as Springbok captain John Smit has on many occasions at the Westpac Stadium, where South Africa’s rugby team were controversially knocked out of last year’s World Cup.

Morne Morkel was the one South African bowler to impress, taking one for 26 in his four overs, which included a maiden.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the biggest victim of Guptill’s onslaught, conceding 28 runs off his three overs, and the left-armer was hammered for one of the biggest sixes ever seen in New Zealand as the Aucklander launched a massive blow into the trusses of The Cake Tin’s roof.

South Africa were also unable to take wickets as Guptill and Kane Williamson, who was eventually run out by Albie Morkel for 24, did nothing silly in steering New Zealand to victory.

Contrasting innings by Justin Ontong and JP Duminy earlier took South Africa to 147 for six , giving them a total they could bowl to.

Clever bowling, backed by magnificent fielding, had given New Zealand another stranglehold over the South African batsmen after they had been sent in to bat and it needed an extraordinary over of hitting by Ontong to give the tourists a respectable total.

South Africa had been reduced to 52 for four after nine overs and Duminy and Ontong had struggled to find anything else but singles as they added 23 runs in the next five overs.

EXTRAORDINARY OVER

Ontong, who had seemingly edged a sweep off part-time spinner Rob Nicol to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum in the previous over, then laid into offspinner Kane Williamson, ending his second over with four successive sixes, three of them to deep midwicket and the fourth over long on.

The bristling Tim Southee returned to claim Ontong’s wicket for 32 off 17 balls, taking a magnificent low return catch, and Doug Bracewell, who recently skittled Australia in a shock test win for New Zealand, then bowled a superb penultimate over that cost just three runs, two of them being leg-byes.

Fifteen runs would come from the final over, however, as Johan Botha hit Kyle Mills for a four and a six.

Openers Hashim Amla (19) and Richard Levi (13) had started brightly for South Africa, adding 24 off 20 balls, but the brilliance of Martin Guptill in the field had much to do with the visitors’ top-order woes.

Guptill dashed in from mid off and slid into the stumps to run out Amla and then snapped up a wonderful low catch at short extra-cover to remove AB de Villiers for eight after the South African captain had slapped a delivery from left-arm spinner Roneel Hira with tremendous power and timing.

A top-class delivery from offspinner Nathan McCullum had removed Colin Ingram for a two-ball duck, brother Brendon completing a juggled stumping after a foray down the pitch by the left-hander.

Duminy gave himself time to settle and refused to let the pressure get to him as he accumulated an important 41 off 37 balls, although he was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal off Williamson on 21.

Southee (4-0-28-3) and Nathan McCullum (4-0-16-1 with the new ball) did much to unsettle the South African batsmen.