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29 March 2024

South Africa set 222 to enter semi-finals

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor (right) greets teammate Jesse Ryder after scoring 50 runs during the quarter-final match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 between South Africa and New Zealand at The Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on March 25, 2011 (AFP)

Published
By AFP

Jesse Ryder finally struck World Cup form with a fluent 83 to steer New Zealand to 221-8 in the quarter-final against favourites South Africa on Friday.

The burly left-hander, who failed to reach 50 in six previous innings in the tournament, delighted some 15,000 fans at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium with eight boundaries.

Ryder put on 114 for the third wicket with Ross Taylor after New Zealand, electing to bat in the day-night game, were reduced to 16-2 by the sixth over.

New Zealand were sitting pretty at 130-2 in the 33rd over when the Proteas bounced back with three wickets for 26 runs in six overs.

Kane Williamson hit an unbeaten 38 towards the end to ensure South Africa chased a 200-plus target for a place in the semi-finals.

Seamer Morne Morkel finished with 3-46, while fast bowler Dale Steyn and leg-spinner Imran Tahir picked up two wickets each.

South Africa's ploy to throw the new ball to a spinner worked again as left-armer Robin Peterson dismissed Brendon McCullum in his second over with a superb diving return catch.

It was Peterson's 15th wicket in the tournament behind only Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi (21) and Indian seamer Zaheer Khan (17).

Steyn then had Martin Guptill caught at mid-off for one, but Ryder and Taylor settled in to take the attack to the rival camp.

South African captain Graeme Smith introduced off-break bowler Johan Botha in the fifth over and Tahir in the 13th, but failed to secure another quick wicket.

Ryder brought up New Zealand's 100 in the 28th over with a superb drive through the covers off Steyn for his seventh boundary.

Taylor, who smashed an unbeaten 131 off 124 balls against Pakistan, looked set for another big knock before he holed out in the deep off Tahir in the 33rd over.

South Africa choked the Black Caps with two more blows as Scott Styris was bowled by Morkel for 16 and Tahir ended Ryder's brave knock by having him caught on the mid-wicket fence.

The winner will meet either Sri Lanka or England in the first semi-final in Colombo on March 29.

Scorecard

New Zealand:

M. Guptill c Botha b Steyn 1

B. McCullum c and b Peterson 4

J. Ryder c sub (Ingram) b Tahir 83

R. Taylor c Kallis b Tahir 43

S. Styris b Morkel 16

K. Williamson not out 38

N. McCullum c Duminy b Steyn 6

J. Oram b Morkel 7

D. Vettori b Morkel 6

L. Woodcock not out 3

Extras: (b4, lb4, w6) 14

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 221

Did not bat: Tim Southee.

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (B. McCullum), 2-16 (Guptill), 3-130 (Taylor), 4-153 (Styris), 5-156 (Ryder), 6-188 (N. McCullum), 7-204 (Oram), 8-210 (Vettori).

Bowling: Peterson 9-0-49-1, Steyn 10-0-42-2 (w3), Botha 9-0-29-0 (w1), Morkel 8-0-46-3, Tahir 9-0-32-2 (w1), Kallis 3-1-6-0, Duminy 2-0-9-0 (w1)

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.

Toss: New Zealand

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)