Online Reporter
MATT HENRY defended seven runs off the last over against South Africa as New Zealand claimed the Harare tri-series cricket trophy, and remained the only side to successfully defend a total at this venue yesterday.
In a thrilling contest, South Africa were cruising on 92 without loss in the tenth over in pursuit of 181, but lost 4 for 39 from there on.
That left them needing 50 runs to win off the last 29 balls.
A 43-run stand, off 25 deliveries between Dewald Brevis and George Linde put South Africa on the brink, but both batters holed out in the final over as the pressure told, and New Zealand held out.
Brevis was on 31 runs off 14 balls as Henry stepped up to bowl the 20th over, and could not get the first ball away.
He lashed out at the second one, which was dug in short, and sent it towards Michael Bracewell at deep midwicket.
Bracewell caught it just inside the rope, and the catch was deemed clean to send Brevis on his way.
Corbin Bosch hit the first ball he faced in the same area, and a misfield from Bracewell allowed two runs before another aerial shot put Linde on strike.
Linde sent Henry to long-on, where Daryl Mitchell took a good, low catch, and left it to Senruan Muthusamy to score four off the last ball.
Henry took pace off, Muthusamy swung too early and found fresh air, and New Zealand’s 100 percent record in the series remained intact.
Henry finished as the leading wicket-taker with 10 in four matches.
After comprehensive wins in the four games before this, New Zealand were properly tested in the decider, and will know they could have made things trickier for South Africa with a more challenging total.
After Tim Seifert and Devon Conway put on 75 for the first wicket and laid a solid foundation for New Zealand, the subsequent partnerships did not kick on as well as they would have liked.
South Africa pulled New Zealand back from 68 without loss in eight overs, and conceded only three boundaries in the last three overs.
New Zealand’s innings ended with five wickets in hand.
While Henry was the standout bowler of the series, Lungi Ngidi was South Africa’s best bowler.
His four overs in the final cost just 24 runs, and across South Africa’s attack, there are still some areas of their disciplines to address.
South Africa’s seamers sent down eight wides, and all told, conceded 13 wides.
New Zealand were off to a rollicking start, courtesy of some poor discipline from South Africa’s seamers in particular.
They scored 52 runs in the powerplay, 23 in the 2.3 overs that followed, and threw their bats at anything short and wide.
Tim Seifert, the series’ leading run-scorer, was on 30 off 27 balls, and there did not seem to be any way of stopping him — especially as he was using his feet well.
Seifert advanced on a wide ball from Muthusamy but took his bottom hand off the bat as he tried to slice it over extra cover and did not get the elevation he wanted.
Rassie van der Dussen, fielding there, reacted quickly as he dived to his left and pouched the ball between both palms.
Seifert had to go.
Five overs later, New Zealand lost Conway for 47, caught at short fine leg off a top edge.
But they were still progressing steadily at 127 for 2 in the 14th over.
Ngidi took pace off to Mark Chapman, who played too early and dragged the ball down to deep midwicket.
Rubin Hermann appeared to have over-ran the chance but then stood still and stretched overhead, where he plucked the ball from the sky as he fell backwards. Chapman was out for 3.
Then, in the final over, with New Zealand pushing towards 180, Bracewell flogged Kwena Maphaka into the covers but did not see Linde. He got down low to his left to snatch the ball from close to the ground to snaffle a third stunning grab. — Cricinfo
