De Villiers takes one on the chin

Taking it on the chin

AB de Villiers was supposed to keep wicket in this game, which would have saved him from copping a ball to the chin, as he did at the end of the fourth over. Kane Williamson mishit a Morne Morkel delivery he was trying to carve over the covers to long on. De Villiers chased it and was successful in reigning it in, but almost at the expense of a tooth. As he dived to haul the ball in, he was surprised by the bounce, which saw the ball leap up and smack him in the chin. He still managed to grab the ball on the rebound and save one.

Had de Villiers been confined to a position behind the stumps, he would also not have been able to pull off the stunner at the heart of South Africa's squeeze. New Zealand had just lost their second opener and Colin Munro was required to do a rebuilding job, which he began enthusiastically. Munro went down the track to hit the first ball he faced, a David Wiese shorter delivery, over the leg-side. He got enough bat on it to send it in the air to mid-on, where de Villiers leapt to his left, full-stretch, and snatched it to produce an effort only he can.

To offset de Villiers' brilliance, South Africa had to have a clanger, and Morkel provided it. George Worker pulled an Aaron Phangiso delivery his way at long leg and all Morkel had to do was accept, but as he put his hands out to claim it, the ball slipped through, bounced behind him and went for four.

South Africa had mixed results in the field and New Zealand seemed headed the same way. When Morne van Wyk sliced Doug Bracewell in the air, George Worker had to judge his position carefully to make sure he got under the swirling ball and stabilised himself to take the catch. Worker put himself in the right place, a few paces back from where he was stationed at backward point, and the ball dipped into his hands but then bounced out. Worker reacted quickly to take it at the second attempt and ensure the chance did not go begging in defence of a modest total.

Rilee Rossouw took South Africa within two scoring shots of victory with back to back boundaries in the 17th over. But then he hurried a little too much and went for the glory shot, a powerful pull that he thought would go over the wicketkeeper's head but went straight up in the air. Rossouw was deceived by the change of angle from Mitchell McClenaghan, who slanted it across from offstump and made sure South Africa had to wait a little longer for victory.