Hundred for Miller to finish, but it will be NZ joining India for the final of CT 2025. Miller dedicates it to his newly born son, Benji. Was a wide full ball that was whacked down the ground. Long-on and long-off were bisected
New Zealand vs South Africa, 2nd Semi-Final at Lahore, Champions Trophy, Mar 05 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
2nd Semi-Final (D/N), Lahore, March 05, 2025, ICC Champions Trophy
New
SA
Full commentary
end of over 5018 runs
SA: 312/9CRR: 6.24
David Miller100 (67b 10x4 4x6)
Lungi Ngidi1 (2b)
Kyle Jamieson 7-1-57-0
Will O’Rourke 8-0-69-0
And so, it will be India and New Zealand, in Dubai, on Sunday, for the final. Appreciate your company here tonight. On behalf of Vithushan Ehantharajah and me, Ekanth, on comms, and Thilak Rama and Venkat Raghav on scoring, it's goodbye for now.
Mitchell Santner, NZ captain: It's a cool feeling to make the final. We were challenged by a good side. We've had a go against India, look forward to do it again. The platform we were able to set with Rachin and Kane, and set up the death phase earlier, was great. The finishers did their job. The key for the bowlers to keep chipping away with wickets. It was good personally. What we speak about as a group is apply pressure, but still take wickets. It was pleasing to get three pretty good scalps personally. We got four allrounders who bowl spin, that gives depth. GP's two wickets and Rachin's five overs was great. We weren't sure if Henry, who is sore but fine, would bowl. Knew if they hit a hard length, it would spin or seam. Williamson keeps doing it. That partnership was massive, might've been frustrated a touch at times, but they flipped the switch earlier and got us to 360. Looking back, 320 might not have been enough. Being there in Dubai and putting India under pressure gave us confidence. You take in what things work and what doesn't. Not winning the toss might be nice.
Temba Bavuma, SA captain: NZ were above par. I think as well as they batted, we backed ourselves to chase 350 with the wicket getting better. We had one or two good partnerships but not enough. One of me or VDD to go big, which didn't happen. NZ really put us under pressure from the get go. They pierced the off side regularly and kept hitting boundaries in the middle overs, was tough to contain them for having had wickets in hand at the death and putting us under pressure. At 125 for 1, me and Rassie batting, we needed to bat till the 35th. But we weren't able to set up the base for the middle order. Soft dismissal for me, better ball to get Rassie. Left too much to do for those coming in. From a batting pov, being more decisive is what's on my mind. Have to be ruthless and go for the game. (breaks into a smile)
Handshakes at the ground among the groundstaff members. Since Dubai will host the final, the tournament has ended in the host country.
Rachin Ravindra, POTM: Great feeling to contribute to an emphatic win in a semi-final. I didn't start as well as I wanted, SA bowled well, but once we got going it was nice build partnerships with Kane and Young. It was nice to go with the ebbs and flows of one-day cricket. We were thinking around 300 as cutters were holding, and SA were getting bounce, but then the game started accelerating nicely, and Glenn and Mitchell finished great. Thing with tournament cricket is what's next and then what. Important to soak in the win today, celebrate the team together and get around each other. Once we get to Dubai we'll switch back on.
For South Africa, things had to go perfectly in the chase, but Rickelton went early. Bavuma started slow and Rassie took time to settle in. They couldn't maximise the powerplay. They did accelerate but fell for fifties. One of them, if not both, had to go longer. That was not to be. Markram's soft dismissal and, more importantly, Klaasen falling cheaply was significant. Miller batted through but the lower-middle-order bats went cheaply, and with the asking rate soaring into the stratosphere, SA got nowhere close. Miller did finish with a century but that was good for the feels as the team bowed out of the tournament.
9:54pm: New Zealand have done it again. They make another ICC final. After Ravindra and Williamson set the game up with the bat, the bowlers took over on what was a belter of a pitch. Santner was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 43. Him getting Klaasen was arguably the moment that sealed the game. But before that, he got Bavuma for 56 and van der Dussen with arguably the ball of the match. One that angled in before turning away to beat the flick, from around the wicket no less. Bracewell held his end nicely. He was economical. Glenn Phillips chipped in with a couple of wickets. Matt Henry took an early wicket and was off the field for a while, but he returned too. Their death bowling wasn't great but the game was effectively done by then.
49.5
6
Jamieson to Miller, SIX runs
Hundred is on! The crowd finds its voice all of a sudden as Miller pumps the pull over midwicket. Back leg swivels across and the hands go through with might. Ngidi is chuffed
49.4
4
Jamieson to Miller, FOUR runs
Slower bumper is pulled. Not middled, Miller was too early into the shot. Bottom hand came off and that went off the top edge, but it sailed well over backward square leg
49.3
2
Jamieson to Miller, 2 runs
Leading edge off the flick... goes over Williamson at backward point. He ran back and jumped but it went over his outstretched hand. He chases to the deep and stops it close to the cushions. Was a full ball that was flicked hard
49.2
•
Jamieson to Miller, no run
Full on fourth, whacked to long-on. Off the bottom of the bat
49.1
4
Jamieson to Miller, FOUR runs
Wide low full toss. Slashes hard, edges it over and to the right of backward point
end of over 4915 runs
SA: 294/9CRR: 6.00 • RRR: 69.00 • Need 69 runs from 6b
David Miller82 (61b 8x4 3x6)
Lungi Ngidi1 (2b)
Will O’Rourke 8-0-69-0
Kyle Jamieson 6-1-39-0
Cricfan : "NZ being complacent and sloppy?" Lol no! But their death bowling might be under scrutiny
48.6
1
O'Rourke to Miller, 1 run
Full on leg, clipped to deep midwicket
48.5
4
O'Rourke to Miller, FOUR runs
Pulled very fine. No, think that's a hook judging by the replay. Gilchirist-esque from Miller, who got inside the line and played it with the torso leaning to the off side. Had little to no room but got it up and over
Muneeb Ullah: "If Miller could do this, why he waited till the RRR was north of 20? Isn't this a valid question?"
48.4
•
O'Rourke to Miller, no run
Length on fifth, cloths a hard cut to the left of mid-off
48.3
2
O'Rourke to Miller, 2 runs
Pulled hard... and into the ground to the left of long-on. Oh, this should be a run out.... no! O'Rourke lobs the ball at the stumps instead of dragging it. Misses. The throw was to his left, he stretched a touch but perhaps had more time than he thought as Ngidi seemed to have given up
Rajthilak: "Miller is just destroying the death bowling confidence of Kyle and Rabada. Advantage India.. lol."
48.2
4
O'Rourke to Miller, FOUR runs
Gets inside the line of the back-of-length ball on top of off. The cutter is pulled over short fine while on a one-legged swivel
48.1
4
O'Rourke to Miller, FOUR runs
Yorker missed and Miller's able to get underneath it. Slashes it away over wide long-off
end of over 4815 runs
SA: 279/9CRR: 5.81 • RRR: 42.00 • Need 84 runs from 12b
David Miller67 (55b 5x4 3x6)
Lungi Ngidi1 (2b)
Kyle Jamieson 6-1-39-0
Will O’Rourke 7-0-54-0
Virag: "POTM- Rachin, Kane or Santner? I think Rachin , he chipped in with the bowl too.. thoughts?" Yeah, Rachin. asy
47.6
1
Jamieson to Miller, 1 run
Wide on a fullish length, slapped to sweeper cover off the toe of the bat.
47.5
4
Jamieson to Miller, FOUR runs
Pulls the half-tracker that rises around chest-height over backward square leg. Has it yorked the boundary cushion or slapped it on the full? The former
Virs: "Surprised to most of the blame focused on SA batters, the game was mainly lost when the bowlers gave away 362.." Both parties were taken down, NZ have been excellent too lest we forget
47.4
•
Jamieson to Miller, no run
Fullish ball close to the tramline, Miller toed a cross-batted slog. Gets it to long-on. Mathematically impossible now, SA's win. Feels like it's been that for a while
47.3
•
Jamieson to Miller, no run
Match over...? No, Williamson can't reach it. He ran back from point and reached out to try and take a low catch. Got fingertips but it fell into the ground. Was a lowish full toss that Miller sliced
47.2
4
Jamieson to Miller, FOUR runs
Yorker misses this time, Miller mistimes it but gets four through slip. Think he was slightly surprised, shaped for a baseball swing across the line but had to to adjust late to try and carve it
47.1
6
Jamieson to Miller, SIX runs
Spongy bounce, nothing spongy about the pull. Mullered over wide long-on, bat going from high to higher and it sails 82 metres far. Back-of-hand slower ball went wrong
Heeeere's Mikyle Jemmovich
end of over 475 runs
SA: 264/9CRR: 5.61 • RRR: 33.00 • Need 99 runs from 18b
David Miller52 (49b 3x4 2x6)
Lungi Ngidi1 (2b)
Will O’Rourke 7-0-54-0
Matt Henry 7-0-43-2
46.6
1
O'Rourke to Miller, 1 run
Low fully on fourth, 136ks this time, driven to long-off
46.5
•
O'Rourke to Miller, no run
Mistimed pull was aerial but rolls to deep square leg. Was a 125ks short ball around shoulder height. O'Rourke doesn't hit high speeds but does look pacy at times
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NZ 100%
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Over 50 • SA 312/9
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