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South Africa‘s hopes of securing a spot in the Champions Trophy 2025 final were dashed as they suffered a 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the semifinal clash. Despite a valiant effort from David Miller, who remained unbeaten on 100 off 83 balls, the Proteas fell꧙ short 🌜in their chase of 363, failing to capitalize on a strong start.
New Zealand’s dominant batting display
Batting first, New Zealand posted a daunting 362/6 in 50 overs, powered by centuries from Rachin Ravindra (108 off 101 balls) and Kane Williamson (102 off 94 balls). Their solid partnership set the platform for a late flourish, with contributions from Daryl Mitchell (49) and Glenn Phillips (49 not out) ensuring a massive total on the board. The Proteas’ bowlers struggled to contain the Kiwi batters, allowing them to dictate the innings from the outset.
South Africa’s response falls short despite David Miller’s heroics
In reply, South Africa started positively, reaching 125/1, with skipper Temba Bavuma (56) and Rassie van der Dussen (69) leading the charge. However, the momentum shifted when both set bat💞ters were dismissed, leaving too much pressure on the middle and lower order.
Miller fought a lone battle with his counter-attacking cent🌊ury, but a lack of partnerships and disciplined Black Caps bowling restricte♔d South Africa to 312/9 in 50 overs, handing New Zealand a comfortable victory.
Temba Bavuma highlights key reasons for the defeat
Speaking at the post-match presentation,Bavuma acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, pointing out key factors that led to their elimination:
👉 Above-par target – Bavuma admitted that the target of 363 was challenging, stating, “I do think it was above-par. Probably if it was 350, we would have backed ourselves to chase the score.” He suggested that New Zealand’s total was slightly beyond their reach, making the chase difficult.
👉 Missed key partnerships – The captain emphasized the importance of building partnerships, particularly highlighting that he or Van der Dussen needed to stay longer to emulate the efforts of New Zealand’s top-order batters. He said: “We had one or two partnerships today but we needed me or Rassie to go on and emulate what two of their batters did.”
👉 New Zealand’s pressure tactics – Bavuma ﷽credited the Kiwi batters, mentioning how they put Sou💜th Africa under pressure from the start by piercing the off-side field and playing aggressively in the middle overs. He praised Rachin, Williamson, Mitchell, and Phillips for their impactful knocks.
“They really put us under pressure from the word go, the way they were able to pierce the off-side at the start and the way they played in the middle overs. Kudos to them, credit to their batters, Rachin and Williamson and even the batters who came in, Mitchell and Phillips,” added Bavuma.
👉 Soft dismissals at crucial moments – Reflecting on his own dismissal, Bavuma admitted it was a “soft dismissal,” while also acknowledging that Rassie’s wicket was unfortunate but crucial in tilting the game in New Zealand’s favor. Their dismissals left the lower order with too much to do.
“We were 125/1 and me and Rassie were still batting. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to set that foundation for them. A bit of a soft dismissal for me and a better dismissal for Rassie and we left too much for them in the end,” explained Bavuma.
👉 Failure to seize key moments – The South African captain stressed that his team lacked decisiveness and ruthlessness, allowing New Zealand to come back into the game. He stated, “We had to be more decisive, not give an opportunity for the opposition to come back, and be ruthless. We needed to take care of the key moments in the game.”
Also WATCH: SA vs NZ – Mi♏tchell Santner cleans up Rassie van der Dussen with a𓃲 jaffa in Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal
A heartbreaking exit for the Proteas
South Africa’s elimination from yet another ICC tournament at the semifinal stage will be a bitter pill to swallow for their fans. While Bavuma and his team showed promise, the inability to execute their chase efficiently led to another missed opportunity for silverware. Meanwhile, New Zealand marche𓆏d into the final, once again proving their c🐼onsistency on the big stage.
