South Africa vs New Zealand World T20: Steyn and Duminy steer Proteas to thrilling win

Dale Steyn and JP Duminy led South Africa to a thrilling two-run win over Group One rivals New Zealand on Monday that kept them in the hunt for a semi-final spot at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

South Africa, who lost their opening match to Sri Lanka, struggled early on and needed a blistering unbeaten 86 off 43 balls by Duminy to reach 170 for six.

New Zealand seemed to be cruising in their reply thanks to Kane Williamson's 35-ball 51 and Ross Taylor's 62.

They needed 31 off 24 deliveries with seven wickets in hand but a brilliant two-over spell from Steyn (4-17) turned the match on its head.

The fiery paceman dismissed the dangerous Corey Anderson for seven in the 18th over and then picked up two for four in the last over with the Kiwis, who beat England in their first match, requiring seven for victory.

Taylor, needing three off the last ball, was run out.

"I was thinking all the time, Dale is my trump card and I need to bring him back in the game because he was bowling beautifully," South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, who missed the Sri Lanka match with injury, said at the presentation.

"But with the way they were hitting the ball... it was a fantastic effort from Dale.

"We were in huge trouble at the start. JP took his time and then hit it sweetly at the end. Fantastic effort and one of the best innings I have seen him play."

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir also played a key role, taking two for 27, but paceman Morne Morkel had a day to forget as he went for 50 in three overs.

"Credit to South Africa for the way they hung in there... We probably should have won it pretty easily," New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said.

"But you can't probably take it to the last over against such a quality bowler like Dale Steyn.

"Little bit of luck today and we would have got across the line but credit to South Africa for their performance."

Earlier, Hashim Amla (41) and Duminy fought back with a 55-run stand after South Africa had slumped to 42 for three.

The fourth-wicket partnership was broken in bizarre fashion when Amla thumped a ball from Anderson and it hit Duminy's bat at the non-striker's end before spooning up for the bowler to complete an easy catch.

Duminy was full of improvised strokes, bludgeoning 10 fours and three sixes as his side added 70 runs in the last five overs.

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

South Africa pulled off a nail-biting two-run victory against New Zealand for their first win in the tournament.

Chasing a stiff target of 171, New Zealand were cantering at 140-3 in the 17th over at one stage.

Half centuries by Kane Williamson (51) and Ross Taylor (62) who shared in a 51-run stand for the third wicket set New Zealand on course.

Taylor blasted three sixes in a row off Morne Morkel to close the equation but the Black Caps were pegged back by a superb spell from spinner Tahir who claimed two for 27.

Steyn returned to bowl two brilliant overs in the death with his figures reading 2-0-12-3 as New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 38 runs to reply with 168-8 in their 20 overs.

The Black Caps needed three off the final ball but Steyn held his nerve to run out Taylor.

Steyn finished with excellent figures of 4-0-17-4.

Taylor is run out by Steyn of the last ball as South Africa pull off nail-biting two-run win against New Zealand.

Ross Taylor run out 62 (37b 4x4 3x6)

New Zealand need 3 off the last ball from Steyn with Taylor on strike.

Faf du Plessis takes a brilliant catch to dismiss Nathan. NZ 168-7 in 19.5 overs.

Nathan McCullum c du Plessis b Steyn 4 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Nathan cracks a boundary after playing two dot balls off Steyn.

Quinton takes a brilliant catch to dismiss Ronchi in the first ball of the last over. NZ 164-6 in 19.1 overs.

Luke Ronchi c de Kock b Steyn 5 (3b 1x4 0x6)

New Zealand need seven off the last over to be bowled by Steyn. NZ 164-5 in 19 overs.

Taylor cracks a couple of boundaries off Morne who goes for 14 in the penultimate.

New Zealand need 21 off the last two overs with Taylor in the middle. NZ 150-5 in 18 overs.

Steyn picks up his 50th wicket as Anderson holes out after hitting a streaky boundary over the keeper. NZ 148-5 in 17.3 overs.

Corey Anderson c Miller b Steyn 7 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Tahir strikes again as Munro is caught by Amla in the deep. NZ 140-4 in 16.3 overs.

Colin Munro c Amla b Imran Tahir 7 (8b 1x4 0x6)

Taylor completes his half century off just 26 balls which is the fastest by a Black Cap against South Africa.

New Zealand need 38 from 30 balls as Taylor and Munro get a boundary apiece off Duminy. NZ 133-3 in 15 overs.

AB de Villiers takes a brilliant catch in the deep as Williamson tries to smash Steyn out of the ground. NZ 117-3 in 13.3 overs.

Kane Williamson c de Villiers b Steyn 51 (35b 5x4 2x6)

The 50 partnership between Taylor and Williamson has come in just 26 balls. NZ 116-2 in 13 overs.

Taylor goes berserk blasting three consecutive sixes off Morne to past 1,000 runs in T20 international career. NZ 109-2 in 12 overs.

Williamson completes his maiden T20I half century off 31 balls.

Williamson smashes a full toss from Tahir for a six over midwicket. NZ 89-2 in 11 overs.

Taylor slams Albie through midwicket for his first boundary as New Zealand reach 77-2 at the halfway stage.

Tahir strikes in his first over luring out Brendon McCullum with Quinton stumping him easily despite the ball going wide. NZ 66-2 in 8.4 overs.

Brendon McCullum st de Kock b Imran Tahir 4 (4b 0x4 0x6) 

Albie Morkel strikes with his first delivery as Guptill pulls him only to get a top edge for Quinton to pocket it. NZ 57-1 in 7.1 overs.

Martin Guptill c de Kock b Albie Morkel 22 (25b 3x4 0x6)

Guptill also gets into the act cracking three boundaries off Tsotsobe to end the Powerplay on 47-0 with a flurry of boundaries in the last two overs.

Williamson is turning it on attacking Morne who goes for 16 hammering two boundaries and six over fine leg. NZ 35-0 in 5 overs.

SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS

A belligerent unbeaten half century from JO Duminy (86) helped South Africa recover from a sluggish start to post a challenging 170-6 in 20 overs after being put into bat by New Zealand.

Proteas were on the backfoot with three down for 42 by the seventh over before Amla (41) shared in a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket with Duminy.

The left-hander took charge thereafter cracking 10 fours and three sixes with some innovative strokeplay during his 43-ball 86 as South Africa 73 runs in the last six overs.

Duminy slams consecutive boundaries in the last over from Southee as South Africa finish strongly on 170-6 in 20 overs.

Southee castles Albie who swings and misses. SA 159-6 in 19.2 overs.

Albie Morkel b Southee 13 (8b 0x4 1x6)

Mills goes for 17 in the penultimate over with Duminy smashing a couple of boundaries and six over long-on. SA 157-5 in 19 overs.

Albie clobbers Anderson over cover for an extraordinary six as South Africa are looking at posting a decent total. SA 140-5 in 18 overs.

Miller surrenders his wicket tamely chipping back to the bowler. SA 131-5 in 17.2 overs.

David Miller c and b Anderson 6 (6b 1x4 0x6)

Duminy is turning it cracking consecutive boundaries on either side of the wicket off Southee who goes for 17. SA 130-4 in 17 overs.

Duminy pulls Southee to the square leg fence to bring up his half century off only 31 deliveries.

Duminy is on song slammsing a couple of boundaries off Williamson as South Africa step up the ante. SA 113-4 in 16 overs.

Amla departs in a bizarre manner with Anderson accepting a catch which ricocheted back off the bat of Duminy with whom he added 55 runs for the fourth wicket. SA 97-4 in 14 overs.

Hashim Amla c and b Anderson 41 (40b 2x4 0x6)

Duminy takes on Anderson scooping him over the keeper and then flicking him with superb timing over backward square leg for a six off consecutive balls.

Nathan McCullum completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-0-24-1. SA 83-3 in 13 overs.

Duminy finally gets out of his shell hammering a six over midwicket of McClenaghan who finishes his spell with figures of 4-0-30-0. SA 77-3 in 12 overs.

The fall of wickets have put South Africa on the backfoot as they reach 61-3 at the halfway stage.

Amla gets a streaky boundary edging Nathan past the keeper. SA 57-3 in 9 overs.

Nathan McCullum strikes a crucial blow taking the big wicket of AB de Villiers who misses the line after jumping out to hit only to find his stumps disturbed. SA 42-3 in 6.4 overs.

AB de Villiers b Nathan McCullum 5 (6b 1x4 0x6)

AB de Villiers gets cracking smoking McClenaghan through the covers for his first boundary. SA 39-2 in 6 overs.

Faf du Plessis smashes consecutive boundaries off Southee through backward square leg and over extra cover but perishes next ball slapping straight to short cover. SA 32-2 in 5 overs.

Faf du Plessis c Nathan McCullum b Southee 13 (8b 2x4 0x6)

Mills strikes early getting the dangerous Quinton who is caught behind swinging across the line and getting a thin edge. SA 16-1 in 3 overs.

Quinton de Kock c Ronchi b Mills 4 (8b 0x4 0x6)

Amla pulls McClenaghan to midwicket for the first boundary of the match.

Mills opens proceddings with Quinton on strike and off the mark first ball with a single.

New Zealand have won the toss and will bowl first against South Africa in a Group 1 ICC World Twenty20 clash at Chittagong on Monday.

Faf du Plessis returns for South Africa who lost their opening Super 10 match to Sri Lanka by five runs.

New Zealand beat England in a rain affected match under the D/L method.

Behardien makes way for the South African captain while there are no changes in the New Zealand XI.

PLAYING XI

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Colin Munro, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.