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South Africa go top as New Zealand slump to third straight defeat

Published

3 years ago

2023/11/1

Priyan

Aiden Markram, Keshav Maharaj and Temba Bavuma celebrate Daryl Mitchell's wicket (Cricinfo)

One of the advantages of a long-drawn league phase is that teams have an opportunity to make up for indifferent starts. But New Zealand are finding out the converse can be true as well. A third straight loss amid a series of injuries in the camp threatens to throw their World Cup campaign off the rails.

If the loss to Australia in Dharamsala was heartbreaking, this one to South Africa in Pune was outright demoralising. The bowlers were sent on a leather hunt as Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen plundered centuries, and David Miller added more salt to the wounds with a blistering 30-ball 53 not out as South Africa posted 357 for 4; the last 10 overs alone brought them 119 runs.

In reply, New Zealand’s top order unraveled against South Africa’s quality pace attack under lights. Marco Jasen’s extra bounce accounted for Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, Will Young was out nicking behind off Gerald Coetzee, and Kagiso Rabada had Tom Latham chipping one to cover.

Daryl Mitchell kept hope flickering, oozing class and confidence as he played a couple of gorgeous on-drives, but his dismissal while looking to hit out against Keshav Maharaj in the 19th over opened the floodgates. The game became staggeringly one-sided as New Zealand petered to 167 all out, with only Glenn Phillips offering any resistance to make 60.

The defeat, and the quantum of it, was massive from a tournament’s standpoint, with New Zealand now slipping back to potentially enter a logjam for fourth place, which Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are all eyeing. Few would have expected New Zealand to cave in the manner they did, even after South Africa had set them 358.

New Zealand’s capitulation was a sharp contrast to how things panned out for South Africa after they were put into bat.

Temba Bavuma was the early aggressor, crunching two cover drives off Matt Henry in the fourth over to kick the innings into gear. De Kock was largely subdued and fidgety early on, and even copped a blow to the shoulder from a Trent Boult bouncer in the ninth over. At that point, South Africa’s innings had barely gotten out of second gear. Having roughed up de Kock, Boult had sent Bavuma back with a sucker ball, a full one that had him nicking low to Mitchell at slip.

It could have been wickets in back-to-back overs for New Zealand had Phillips latched on to a screamer at backward point off Tim Southee. That we’re even talking about it being a chance was down to his brilliance – anticipating de Kock’s cut and taking two steps to his right before flinging himself full-stretch to go one-handed. De Kock was on 12 off 24 at that point.

At the other end, van der Dussen helped himself to a pull to begin proceedings as Southee, coming in for the first game of his fourth World Cup, seemed erratic and down on pace to begin with. For much of the first 100 runs in their 200-run stand, de Kock and van der Dussen were steady and calculating, playing themselves into a position from which they could tee off in the back 15. It’s a plan that worked to the T for them, and perhaps much more easily than they may have anticipated because New Zealand had a massive hole to fill midway through.

Henry pulled his hamstring halfway through his sixth over, the 27th of the innings, to leave Ravindra, James Neesham and Phillips to bowl 14.3 overs between them. De Kock and van der Dussen accelerated knowing fully well that New Zealand needed to back-load their part-timers.

The first sign of de Kock breaking the shackles came in the 16th over when he got stuck into Southee. He followed an imperious pull in front of square for four by walloping a six over the bowler’s head. De Kock had another slice of luck soon after when he chipped Phillips into the leg side, with the ball falling between three fielders. De Kock soon brought up his half-century off 62 deliveries and van der Dussen followed suit, getting there off 61.

New Zealand’s cup of woe was far from over. Neesham, one of the part-timers called on to make up overs, suffered a blow of his own when he was struck flush on the thumb by a de Kock straight drive. On 95, de Kock should have been run out off the same delivery when he was sent back even as the ball deflected to Mitchell Santner at cover. The batter had given up hope when Santner fired a throw at the bowler’s end, but it missed the stumps. De Kock soon brought up his hundred – his fourth of this World Cup, which left him one behind Rohit Sharma’s record of five in a single edition – by getting inside the line and helping a pull deep beyond the fine leg fence for six. He reached the century off 103 balls, and seemed to be revving up for a big finish.

At the other end, the industrious van der Dussen brought out cute reverse paddles and sweeps to throw New Zealand’s spinners off gear. The second-wicket pair had added 200 at better than a run-a-ball when de Kock picked out point to give Southee a wicket in the 40th over. It’s at this point that South Africa pulled out a surprise move, pushing Miller up the order, seemingly to keep the left-right combination going, and he tore into the bowling at the death to get to his half-century in 29 balls. Neesham went for 69 off his 5.3 overs, and conceded 18 in the 50th.

While New Zealand walked off knowing they had a big chase, there was a sense that the game was still in the balance given how well they had batted in big chases against England and Australia. But their hopes were dashed by a South African attack that made you wonder if this was the same surface New Zealand had bowled on.

After the top order was blown away, Phillips delayed the inevitable, getting in some batting time amid a lower-order collapse. By the end, New Zealand were so desperate to minimise the damage to their net run rate that an injured Henry hobbled out to bat and gave Phillips company for 5.1 overs, in the process adding 34 for the final wicket. However, even that didn’t quite diminish the magnitude of the defeat, which, all told, was a proper pasting.

Brief Scores:
South Africa 357/4 in 50 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 133, Quinton de Kock 114, Temba Bauvma 24, David Miller 53; Tim Southee 2-77) beat New Zealand 167 in 35.3 overs (Will Young 33, Daryl Mitchell 24, Glenn Phillips 60; Marco Jansen 3-31, Gerald Coetzee 2-41, Keshav Maharaj 4-46)by 190 runs

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Six dead after vehicle crashes into crowd near Vesak Dansala in Meegoda

Published

19 hours ago

2026/06/1

Priyan

It has been reported that six persons, have died while several others are injured after a vehicle crashed into a crowd of people near a Vesak Dansala in the Meegoda Junction.

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Sooryavanshi wins Orange Cap, MVP and Emerging Player awards in IPL 2026

Published

19 hours ago

2026/06/1

Priyan

Vaivhav Sooryavanshi finished the IPL with the Orange Cap on his head [Cricinfo]

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi has won the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Orange Cap (most runs), and Emerging Player awards in IPL 2026 after amassing 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30.

Gujarat Titans (GT) quick Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap for topping the wickets chart. He took 29 wickets from 17 games at an economy rate of 9.68. This was the second time he won the Purple Cap, having done so previously in IPL 2020 when he took 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuveneshwar Kumar was a close second with 28 wickets.

Sooryavanshi, 15, is the first player to win both the MVP and Emerging Player awards in the same season. He was the first since Chris Gayle in 2011 to top both the runs and strike rate charts (min. 20 balls faced) in the same season. Sooryavanshi hit 72 sixes in IPL 2026, breaking Gayle’s record of most sixes (59) in an IPL season, and played a key role in RR making it to the playoffs. They eventually lost to GT in Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.

“It feels nice, but there is pressure because I am doing interviews. It is a proud moment and I will try and do well next season too,” Sooryanvashi said after collecting his awards at the end of the final. “I try to back my game and if the ball is there to be hit, I go all out for it and just try to play that way.

“How to play the pressure game, how to change myself every game, you can’t play every game in one mode, you need to read the game situation and play according to the team’s requirements. These are my learnings from this season. [On fitness] Yes, my focus is on that. If I have to play long, I have to stay clear of injuries and work on my fitness and have to focus more.”

GT captain Shubman Gill was second on the Orange Cap list with 732 runs. He was followed by his team-mate and opening partner B Sai Sudharsan, who finished with 722.

At the Cricinfo Honours awards on the eve of the IPL final, Sachin Tendulkar had said Sooriyavanshi was “truly special”.

“Everyone is talking about Sooryavanshi, and I watched him bat – it was magnificent. I mean he is something truly special. And not just the ability to hit the ball, but what also fascinated me was the wrist work that he has. To be able to play in all directions of the ground, you need good wrist work. And he is not slogging the ball. He is just picking the line and length earlier than the rest of the guys and he is able to clear the rope comfortably.”

[Cricinfo]

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Kohli, bowlers lead RCB to second straight IPL title

Published

20 hours ago

2026/06/1

Priyan

RCB started the celebrations late into the night•May 31, 2026 [Cricinfo]

It took them 18 years to win their first title, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took no time in becoming only the third team to successfully defend it. Their seam bowlers made superb use of a slightly sticky surface after Rajat Patidar won the toss, restricting Gujarat Titans (GT), who were in their third final in five years of their existence, to 155, the exact same score RCB managed in the league match against the seam team in the same ground on the same pitch No. 6 bang in the middle of the square.

Josh Hazelwood who has never lost a T20 or ODI final, set the tone with the wicket of Shubman Gill in his first over. Bhuveneshwar Kumar momentarily reclaimed the purple cap with two wickets, and Rasikh Salam capped off his best IPL with three to take his tally for the year to 19. Last final’s Player of the match, Krunal Pandya, who won his fifth IPL final out of five, also chipped in with the big wicket of Jos Buttler in his analysis of 4-0-23-1. He is now behind only Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu in number of titles, and is also the first player to successfully defend a title with two different teams.

Only three out of 26 scores under 190 in a full match had been defended successfully this IPL. With the ball still nibbling around, the best attack in the tournament would have thought they had a chance, but amid falling wickets, Virat Kohli chose this final to hit his fastest IPL fifty and his highest playoff score, leading a five-wicket win with two overs to spare.

Get the openers

Gill and B Sai Sudharsan came into the final as the only pair of batters from the same team to have scored 700 or more runs in the same IPL. However, they were up against bowlers that have troubled them in the past. A cagey start ensued, Gill survived the Bhuvneshwar over, but Hazlewood had him top-edging his signature short-arm pull.

GT promoted Nishant Sindhu to No. 3 to protect Buttler from Bhuvneshwar, but the wily bowler made sure Buttler had to come out as he took out Sudharsan in his second over. He first beat Sudharsan on the charge with a bouncer before continuing with another, this one taking the toe end on the ramp. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, in attendance in Ahmedabad, was now assured of the orange cap. This was only the fourth time this IPL that both the GT owners had been dismissed inside the powerplay, three of them against RCB.

Middle-overs choke

Seeing some grip from the pitch and conventional, subdued batters at the wicket, Krunal shelved all his fancy change-ups and bowled only length. His first three overs yielded zero boundaries. Salam was equally miserly at the other end, just bowling good length and enjoying the slight variations from the surface. One of those had Sindhu caught at long-on.

When Krunal started his final over, they had gone 37 legal deliveries without a boundary. Krunal expected the frustrated Buttler to try something, saw him coming and fired in a wide yorker for a spectacular stumping by Jitesh Sharma.

Another promotion followed with Arshad Khan walking in and hitting the fourth ball of the 13th over for a six, only one ball quicker than the longest it has taken a team to hit a six in an IPL final.

No let-up from RCB

Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar and Salam offered no freebies in the death overs. Every time GT thought they could build some momentum, one of the quicks jolted them with a wicket. Hazlewood got Arshad, Bhuvneshwar made it 28 wickets for the season with Jason Holder’s scalp, and Salam took out Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan in the end. Only Jacob Duffy went wicketless, but he, too, nearly had Washington Sundar, who went on from the reprieve to score a fighting 37-ball 50.

The high-octane chase

Like he did in the 2024 final with a 50 at two runs a ball, Venkatesh Iyer got the middling chase to a flying start. Not that he needed extra licence, but an injury to the inside of the knee in the first over of the chase left him no option but to hit out. He hit out against Rabada in his first over, and by the time Mohammed Siraj got him out for 32 off 16, he had set RCB on their way.

While Venkatesh might have added reason to hit out, Kohli lashed out at Rabada with ferocity that was only foretold by a season in which he has matched some of the younger, more cutting-edge T20 batters. Of the six batters to have scored 600 or more this IPL, only Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan have done so quicker than his 675 at 165.84.

As is often expected of Kohli, he was pumped up when he took on his great rival Rabada, hitting a spectacular six and three fours in Rabada’s second. Rattled bowlers lost their line against Kohli, whose first run on the off side was his 39th. By that time, Rabada had taken back his purple cap with Devdutt Padikkal’s wicket and Rashid Khan would soon take two in his first over, but the asking rate was already under a run a ball.

Only an injury to Kohli slowed down RCB’s march to the title, but Kohli finished it off in style with a four and a six off the last two balls of the 18th over.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161 for 5 in 18 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 32, Virat Kohli 75*, Rajat Patidar 15, Tim David 24, Jitesh Sharma 11*; Mohammed Siraj 1-36, Kagiso Rabada 1-44, Rashid Khan 2-25, Arshad Khan 1-32) beat Gujarat Titans 155 for 8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudarshan 12, Shubman Gill 10, Nishant Sindhu 20, Jos Buttler 19, Washington Sundar 50*, Arshad Khan 15; Rasikh Salam 3-27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-29, Josh Hazelwood 2-37, Krunal Pandya 1-23) by five wickets

[Cricinfo]