LAHORE – New Zealand defeated South Africa by six wickets to qualify for the final of the tri-nation ODI series.
Chasing a target of 305, New Zealand reached the total in the 49th over with four wickets down. Kane Williamson remained unbeaten on 133, while Devon Conway played a brilliant knock of 97.
Earlier, South Africa posted 304/6 in 50 overs. Captain Temba Bavuma was dismissed for 20 off 23 balls. Debutant Matthew Breetzke and Jason Smith built a 93-run partnership for the second wicket before Smith was run out for 41.
Matthew Breetzke made history by scoring 150 on his ODI debut, becoming the first opener to achieve this feat. He faced 148 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes.
After two quick dismissals, Kyle Verreynne fell for just one run. Breetzke and Wiaan Mulder then added 131 runs for the fourth wicket, stabilizing the innings. Breetzke was eventually dismissed for 150, followed by Mulder, who scored 64. Senuran Muthusamy managed only two runs.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke took two wickets each, while Michael Bracewell claimed one.
The match, played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, saw New Zealand opting to bowl first after winning the toss. Devon Conway replaced Rachin Ravindra in the Kiwi lineup, while South Africa handed ODI debuts to four players.
Notably, in the first match of the series, New Zealand had defeated Pakistan by 78 runs, setting a target of 331 before bowling out the hosts for 252.
New Zealand vs South Africa Squad
New Zealand Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Ben Sears, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Jason Smith, Matthew Breetzke, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Wiaan Mulder, Mihali Mpongwana, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ethan Bosch, Lungi Ngidi
New Zealand defeats Pakistan by 78 runs in the first match of the Tri-Nation series
