BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, May 6, CMC – A late flourish from Albie Morkel set South Africa up for a 13-run victory over New Zealand in the second Super Eight match of the Twenty20 World Cup yesterday.
Morkel smashed an amazing five sixes in 40 from 18 balls, as South Africa piled up 170 for four from their allocation of 20 overs.
He earned the Man-of-the-Match award, after he dominated a stand of 72 for the fourth wicket with Abraham de Villiers, whose 47 from 39 balls was the top score.
New Zealand’s batting never got into gear, and they were restricted to 157 for seven from their 20 overs by a combination of steady bowling and brilliant fielding – led by the energetic Herschelle Gibbs.
Jesse Ryder held the New Zealand top-order together with 33, and Nathan McCullum gave the innings a late boost with 26.
Johan Botha, Morne Morkel, Albie’s brother, and Charl Langeveldt, collected two wickets apiece.
New Zealand suffered an early setback in their run chase, when Brendon McCullum, the leading batsman in the World in this form of the game, was spectacularly caught right-handed at extra cover by a flying Gibbs for six in the first over.
Martin Guptill joined Ryder, and appeared to be putting the New Zealanders on course for victory with a stand of 44 for the second wicket.
But he was caught inside the long-on boundary off Botha, and New Zealand’s troubles continued from there.
Ryder was caught at extra cover off Botha in the 10th over, and Ross Taylor, the Black Caps’ most durable batsman, was caught at mid-wicket off Morne Morkel in the 13th over to leave New Zealand 87 for four, and without the cream of their batting.
Earlier, South Africa batted steadily, but their innings appeared to be at the crossroads, when they declined to 97 for three in the 14th over.
But Morkel transformed the complexion of the innings with his powerful hitting that included an over in which he blasted Tim Southee for three sixes.
Morkel was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings going for a bye, when he failed to beat wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins’ direct hit at the striker’s end.
South Africa face England in their second Super Eight match on Saturday, the same day that New Zealand meet Pakistan.
SCOREBOARD
SOUTH AFRICA (maximum 20 overs)
J. Kallis c Southee b Oram 31
*G. Smith c Guptill b Southee 14
H. Gibbs c B. McCullum b N. McCullum 30
A. de Villiers not out 47
A. Morkel run out (+Hopkins) 40
+M. Boucher not out 0
Extras (b6, w2) 8
TOTAL (4 wkts, 20 overs) 170
J. Duminy, D. Steyn, J. Botha, M. Morkel, +M. Boucher did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-40 (*Smith, 4.5 overs); 2-55 (Kallis, 7.5); 3-97 (Gibbs, 13.3); 4-169 (Morkel, 19.5)
Bowling: N. McCullum 4-0-35-1 (w2); Bond 4-0-33-0; Southee 3-0-39-1; Oram 3-0-22-1; *Vettori 4-0-21-0; Styris 2-0-14-0
NEW ZEALAND (target: 171 off 20 overs)
B. McCullum c Gibbs b Langeveldt 6
J. Ryder c de Villiers b Botha 33
M. Guptill c A. Morkel b Botha 18
R. Taylor c Gibbs b M. Morkel 19
S. Styris c Gibbs b Langeveldt 13
+G. Hopkins c Steyn b M. Morkel 18
J. Oram lbw b Steyn 0
N. McCullum not out 26
*D. Vettori not out 10
Extras (lb7, w5, nb2) 14
TOTAL (7 wkts, 20 overs) 157
S. Bond, T. Southee did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (B. McCullum, 0.5 overs); 2-51 (Guptill, 7.3); 3-67 (Ryder, 9.4); 4-87 (Taylor, 12.2); 5-109 (Styris, 14.5); 6-110 (Oram, 15.2); 7-123 (+Hopkins, 16.2)
Bowling: Langeveldt 4-0-39-2 (w2); Steyn 4-0-25-1 (nb1, w2); M. Morkel 4-0-27-2 (nb1); Kallis 4-0-23-0 (w1); Botha 3-0-23-2; A. Morkel 1-0-13-0
Result: South Africa won by 13 runs
Points: South Africa 2, New Zealand 0
Toss: South Africa
Man-of-the-Match: Albie Morkel (South Africa)
Umpires: Aleem Dar, S. Davis
TV umpire: B. Doctrove
Matchreferee: A. Hurst
Reserve umpire: S. Taufel
