New Zealand have qualified for the Pakistan Tri-Nation Series final after completing the third-highest successful chase in Lahore to beat an under-strength South Africa by six wickets. The result means the next match, between Pakistan and South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday, is a knockout.

Kane Williamson and Devon Conway,  both back in New Zealand’s ODI squad for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, scored 133 not out and 97 respectively and shared in a record partnership for New Zealand against South Africa (187). Conway’s score was the first time he crossed fifty since the opening match of the 2023 World Cup, 11 innings ago. Williamson’s century was his first in 22 innings, dating back to his 148 against West Indies in Manchester in the 2019 World Cup. It was also Williamson’s second fastest ODI hundred, off 72 balls. Between them, the pair eclipsed a remarkable achievement by Matthew Breetzke,  who became the player with the highest individual score on ODI debut – 150 – and the fourth South African to score a century in his first match.

Breetzke accounted for just under a half of South Africa’s total, which is the first indication of where things went wrong for them. They scored too slowly in the middle of the innings, especially given the flat nature of the track. The second issue was a severely uninspired attack, albeit not a first-choice one. Three of the bowlers – Earthan Boxch, Senuran Muthusamy and Mihali Mpongwana were on ODI debut and could be forgiven but lack of punch from Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, who conceded 116 in 16 overs between them will be a concern ahead of the Champions Trophy.

South Africa have now lost five ODIs in a row, their longest losing streak in 20 years, but have played all their matches without a full strength side. While they’re unlikely to have too many positives to take from this defeat, they may console themselves with the knowledge that, Rachin Ravindra aside, New Zealand were at full strength and played like it.

After choosing to bowl first in the only day game of the series, New Zealand struck early when Will O’Rourke bounced Temba Bavuma out as he edged a pull. Bavuma had looked confident for his 23-ball 20 but New Zealand’s O’Rourke’s consistent and aggressive approach with the short ball paid off.

Breetzke and Jason Smith combined for a second-wicket stand of 93 but their scoring rate of 5.31 runs to the over was testament to New Zealand’s squeeze. South Africa struck only two fours and three sixes in the 17 overs between Bavuma’s dismissal and Smith’s run-out, as they tried to take on Mitchell Santner but were largely kept quiet. In that time, Breetzke brought up fifty off 68 balls.

When Smith was run-out, New Zealand had an opportunity to get into an inexperienced middle order and they took it. Kyle Verreynne tried to reverse-sweep the fourth ball he faced, missed and was bowled by Michael Bracewell. Another quiet period followed, in which South Africa only hit one boundary in 11 overs, as the combination of Ben Sears, Bracewell and Matt Henry stuck to their disciplines.

South Africa were 196 for 3 entering the last 10 overs and 280 looked a distance away. Breetzke took it on himself to get them there. He dispatched O’Rourke through deep third to bring up his century off 128 balls in the 41st over, and then put foot down. His next fifty runs came off 19 balls as he brought out his full range. His 150 came in an over where he hit Sears for 20.

Just as it seemed Breetzke could be eyeing a double, he mis-read a Henry slower ball and was caught at mid-off. Wiaan Mulder, who had largely operated as a spectator to that point, had the responsibility to finish off the innings but was fortunate to have an inside-edge trickle away for four before he established some control. He reached his second ODI fifty with a crunching cover drive off Henry, off the 54th ball he faced, and took South Africa over 300 with a four through short fine in the penultimate over. South Africa got only four runs off their final eight balls.

It was not enough. New Zealand built slowly but got ahead of the required run rate just after the halfway stage of their innings and were in full control from there. They had only lost Will Young at that point, for 19, though he should have been out for 6 in the third over. Smith dropped Young at backward point off Ngidi but the miss did not prove too costly.

His dismissal brought Conway and Williamson together and there was one nervy moment, when Williamson inside-edged Junior Dala past Verreynne but he soon settled into a rhythm and put on a masterful display of run-scoring, all around the wicket. His wagon wheel was almost entirely symmetrical, with 67 runs on the off side and 66 on the leg side and the highlights included four strong cut shots and a creative ramp over Verreynne as he leaned back to an Ngidi delivery.

Equally, Williamson’s pacing of his innings was perfect. He gave himself time to get in, all while scoring at a run-a-ball, and then took over the more dominant role from Conway, who got to fifty first. Conway’s half-century came off 64 balls, before Williamson’s reached his, off 44 balls, with a massive six over mid-on off Shamsi. It was also Williamson’s fourth successive fifty-plus ODI score in Pakistan. He took a liking to Mpongwana and Ngidi’s short-balls while Conway took on Shamsi and South Africa had no answers.

Williamson got to his century in the 34th over with a single off Dala. Conway was not far behind and eager to get there but, when he was on 97, he tried to cut Dala past point and found Muthusamy, who moved to his left and took the catch.

Muthusamy was the pick of South Africa’s bowlers and dismissed Daryl Mitchell, thanks to a stunning catch from Mulder at long-on, and Tim Latham off successive balls but Glenn Philipps partnered Williamson to the end. Williamson hit the winning runs in the 49th over, to give New Zealand victory with eight balls to spare.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 308 for 4 in 4.4 overs (Kane Williamson 133*, Devon Conway 97, Glenn Phillips 28; Senuran Muthusamy 2-50) beat  South Africa 304 for 6 in 50 overs (Matthew Breetzke 150, Temba Bavuma 20, Jason Smith 41, Wiaan Mulder 64, Matt Henry 2-59, Will O’Rourke 2-72)  by six wickets

[Cricinfo]