New Zealand Beats South Africa by 50 Runs to Qualify for Final; Ravindra and Williamson Show Magical Centuries
New Zealand has qualified for the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 against India on March 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Stadium. New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs in an exciting semifinal match at Lahore on Wednesday, securing their position in the high-profile final.
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New Zealand Beats South Africa in Semifinal
Pursuing a difficult goal of 363 runs, the South African team came up short, scoring just 312 runs in their 50 allotted overs. Despite a courageous attempt by the South African batsmen, led by a brilliant hundred by David Miller, New Zealand’s bowling unit kept them on their toes throughout the game. Mitchell Santner, captain of New Zealand, was the man of the hour with the ball, taking 3 wickets. Along with him, Matt Henry and Glenn Phillips took 2 wickets each, while Michael Bracewell and Santner also chipped in with a wicket each.
South Africa’s resistance was spearheaded by David Miller, whose stunning century earned him 100 runs off 67 balls. Apart from this, skipper Temba Bavuma (56 runs) and Rassie van der Dussen (69 runs) chipped in with half-centuries to give the team a strong backing, but their attempts did not prove sufficient to pursue the lofty target.
New Zealand’s Batting Stars Shine in the Semifinal
New Zealand’s batting, on the contrary, was clinical with Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson both hitting centuries. Ravindra scored 108 runs, while the veteran Williamson played a classy 102 runs. Although Daryl Mitchell (49 runs) and Glenn Phillips (49 runs) could not quite hit fifties, their input assisted New Zealand in setting an imposing total. South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi was the best bowler of his side, claiming 3 wickets, while Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder both claimed 2 and 1 wickets respectively.
Key Performances and the Road to the Final
New Zealand’s dominating performance has brought them a well-deserved qualification to the final, where they will face the Indian team, who has already qualified after beating their rivals in the other semifinal. The final is expected to be an exciting encounter, with both teams in great shape.
New Zealand’s success has been established on good all-round performances. Their bowlers have been clinical, and their batsmen have risen to the challenge in the critical periods. For South Africa, though they fought hard, their failure to chase a heavy target and lose wickets at critical times cost them dearly.
Semifinal Teams
Following are the playing elevens for the two sides in the semifinal:
South Africa:
- Temba Bavuma (Captain)
- Aiden Markram
- Ryan Rickelton
- Rassie van der Dussen
- Henrich Klaasen (Wicketkeeper)
- David Miller
- Wiaan Mulder
- Marco Jansen
- Kagiso Rabada
- Keshav Maharaj
- Lungi Ngidi
New Zealand:
- Mitchell Santner (Captain)
- Will Young
- Rachin Ravindra
- Kane Williamson
- Daryl Mitchell
- Tom Latham (Wicketkeeper)
- Glenn Phillips
- Michael Bracewell
- Matt Henry
- Kyle Jamieson
- William O’Rourke
Looking Ahead to the Final
As the Champions Trophy 2025 Final comes near, the spotlight will fall on the Indian team and New Zealand, which have both been incredible in demonstrating skill and tenacity in making it to the final. Both teams will be keen to raise the coveted trophy with a stake in cricket history.
For New Zealand, this is a golden opportunity to win their first Champions Trophy title, while for India it is an opportunity to maintain their supremacy in international cricket. The final is all set to be an exciting one, with great quality cricket to be expected, and cricket followers from across the globe are anxiously waiting to witness this luscious contest.
With Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, and Mitchell Santner at the helm of New Zealand’s attack, and Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah having the responsibility to shoulder India’s aspirations, this is going to be an thrilling end to the tournament.
Catch the thrilling final on March 9, as two cricket giants clash for honors in what is likely to be an unforgettable finale to the Champions Trophy 2025!
