Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson played majestic centuries as New Zealand claimed a convincing 50-run win over South Africa in a high-scoring Champions Trophy semifinal on Wednesday, staging a title clash against India.
Ravindra made a brilliant 108 off 101 balls, adorned with 13 fours and a six, while Williamson scored a calm innings of 102 from 94 balls, scoring 10 fours and two sixes after skipper Mitchell Santner decided to bat first.
Seizing the solid base, Daryl Mitchell (49 off 37 balls), Glenn Phillips (49 not out off 27 balls), and Michael Bracewell (16 off 12 balls) lit the fire towards the end, scoring 112 runs from the last 10 overs. Their efforts helped New Zealand reach a record-breaking 362/6—the highest Champions Trophy score ever.
While South Africa twice successfully pursued larger targets in ODIs, this time they came up short, scoring 312/9 despite a gallant unbeaten 100 by David Miller off 67 balls and gritty half-centuries by Rassie van der Dussen (69) and skipper Temba Bavuma (56).
Santner (3/43) was New Zealand's player of the match, supported by other spinners Michael Bracewell (1/53), Glenn Phillips (2/27), and Ravindra (1/20) who maintained pressure in middle overs.
This victory propels New Zealand into a final with the former champions India, scheduled on Sunday at Dubai. The semifinal was also the end of Champions Trophy action in Pakistan.
Pursuing 363 for the win, South Africa lost Ryan Rickelton in the early stages for 17, but Bavuma, after a sluggish start, got into his groove and established a key 105-run partnership with van der Dussen. Their stand took the team past 100 in the 18th over.
But then Santner changed the course of the game by taking three wickets in a span of just a few overs. The left-arm spinner initially shattered the stand by getting Bavuma in the 23rd over, and subsequently bowled an out-of-the-blue delivery to pick up van der Dussen. He also dismissed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (3), who was caught by Matt Henry.
Ravindra added to South Africa's woes later by claiming a sharp caught-and-bowled wicket of Aiden Markram (31), leaving them at 189/5 in the 33rd over. Wiaan Mulder (8), Marco Jansen (3), and Keshav Maharaj (1) then followed in quick succession. Although Miller played late heroics—where he hammered 10 fours and four sixes to score his century off the last delivery of the innings—the Proteas were far from reaching the target.
Earlier, having elected to bat, New Zealand began well with a 48-run first-wicket stand between Ravindra and Will Young (21), before Lungi Ngidi (3/72) removed Young in the eighth over.
Ravindra and Williamson then built a dominating 164-run second-wicket partnership, taking the Kiwis beyond the 250-run mark by the 40th over.
Ravindra, in sublime form, played some beautiful pull shots and back-foot drives on his way to his second century of this Champions Trophy, after his 112 against Bangladesh. This knock was his fifth century in an ICC tournament, besides the three he scored during the 2023 World Cup in India.
Williamson, with some initial bouts of nervousness, showed trademark calm to reach his 15th ODI hundred and fourth versus South Africa. Notably, he now has centuries in three successive ODIs against the Proteas.
Williamson's right-left alliance with Ravindra was challenging for South African bowlers to face. Wiaan Mulder, their struggling all-rounder from a strain, managed to bowl only six overs and gave 48 runs in the process with just one wicket.
Ravindra was ultimately dismissed by Kagiso Rabada (2/70), caught by Heinrich Klaasen, while Williamson tried a ramp shot but timed it poorly, getting out to Ngidi off Mulder's bowling.
Mitchell contributed useful runs, hitting four boundaries and a six in his 37-ball innings, while Phillips provided a destructive finish, blasting six fours and a six in 27 balls to propel New Zealand to a strong total.
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