New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs in the second semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Here are the tactical calls which defined the game.
2nd Semi-Final, South Africa vs New Zealand
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Ravindra-Williamson neutralise Maharaj
The biggest partnership of the game also ended up being the most important one. Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson put on 164 for the second wicket en route to centuries – but more crucially, neutralised Keshav Maharaj to great effect.
Also read: Most international centuries, full list: Williamson goes past AB de Villiers, equals Fab Four member
South Africa's go-to in the middle overs, Ravindra and Williamson ensured he went wicketless, and as a bonus, managed to inflict some punishment on the left-armer. While it was Ravindra who kept the scoreboard going when Williamson started off, the pair switched roles against Maharaj.
Ravindra scored just eight off his first 16 balls from Maharaj before eventually accelerating to 27 off 25. Williamson, on the other hand, was able to milk the spinner for singles throughout his innings to keep things moving. In the end, this stand set the platform for what was to come.
Latham over Phillips misstep doesn't cost NZ
When Williamson went at the end of the 40th over to leave New Zealand three down, it was slightly bemusing to see Tom Latham walk out instead. Glenn Phillips is their designated death-overs hitter, and in excellent form. It would have been the perfect opportunity to send him up one place.
Perhaps they just took their eye off the ball, but New Zealand weren't punished for their misstep as Latham perished after just five balls, attempting a scoop off Kagiso Rabada, to bring Phillips to the crease. Phillips ended up making a vital 49 off 27 balls.
Bavuma-van der Dussen leave too much to do
It was a tale of two second-wicket partnerships in this game. Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen came together after Ryan Rickelton's dismissal in the fifth over. But rarely, if ever, during their chase did you think the pair were in pursuit of 363.
They did put on 105 runs, but that came off 105 balls. The right-handed pair allowed Michael Bracewell, an off-spinner who was supposed to be their favourable matchup, to bowl his first three overs for just 10 runs and first five for 22. What tells the story, perhaps, is that the required run rate when the partnership started was 7.6 runs per over. By the time it ended with Bavuma's dismissal, that had risen to 8.6.
Miller stars in the (too?) late show
This game never should have been Miller's to save in the first place. He came in at 167-4, and the required rate at 9.04 runs per over. By the time he'd faced 23 balls, South Africa were seven down and still 151 runs from victory.
Still, if there was to be any glimmer of hope, Miller had to at least farm the strike. He did, however, remain happy to hand over strike to the tail-enders. The assault he unleashed in the last three overs moved him from 52* (49) to 100* (67) – 48 off 18 for those keeping count. If that had been attempted – and had come off – before the game was done and dusted, who knows whether/how New Zealand might have panicked.
Also read: Fastest ODI hundreds, full list: David Miller breaks Champions Trophy record
Ngidi over Rabada with new ball?
Team plans are always easier to question after defeats, but South Africa choosing to hand Lungi Ngidi the new ball over Kagiso Rabada has been slightly confusing through their three completed games so far. Ngidi has been largely effective with his cutters and hit-the-deck bowling through the middle, and Rabada is a more than capable new-ball bowler.
This didn't cost them this particular game by any means, but one wonders if Rabada may have been able to prise out another wicket or two, including the two big fish - Williamson and Ravindra - early on.
A case for Shamsi over Ngidi?
Once again, hindsight is a wonderful thing. South Africa may not have wanted to risk another spinner on a surface they perhaps expected to be flat and amenable to run-scoring. But the Lahore wicket did have its fair share of grip for all four of New Zealand's spinners, and the ball did occasionally stop on the batters.
Playing Tabraiz Shamsi over Ngidi may have allowed South Africa to hand Rabada and Jansen the new ball, and perhaps tie down New Zealand a bit more through the middle with Shamsi and Maharaj operating from either end. Fifth bowler duties could still, as usual, be shared between Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram, with the exact split depending on conditions on the day.
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