New Zealand v South Africa, 1st ODI - 5 Talking Points

After an exciting T20I, South Africa kick-started their campaign in New Zealand with a narrow four-wicket win in the first ODI against their hosts at Eden Park in Auckland. While rain played a part in the match, it was a boundary from the penultimate delivery from the charismatic skipper AB de Villiers who went ahead and ensured that the visitors got their names ahead of their hosts. While the talking point was certainly the rain, it was the batting from a few individuals that took the cake.

Chris Morris was perhaps one of the better bowlers on the day with some terrific bowling as he went ahead and ensured that his four wickets would eventually restrict the Kiwis to 207 and not more than that. It was also some decent batting from Andile Phehlukwayo who would also go ahead and help his side secure the much-deserved win on the day. Here are five talking points from the recently concluded encounter.

1. Rain makes its divine intervention to reduce the match 

Most of the matches played at Eden Park in Auckland are generally plundered off their overs given the fact that they are washed out or have a few overs washed out at least. With a bit of rain on the day, each side was reduced to 34 overs on the day. This also meant a soggy outfield and a rather wet wicket made it a peach for batting as one would soon find out when the Kiwis took the bat first.

Also read- NZ v SA 1st ODI Review: South Africa inch past the Kiwis in the opening ODI

2. Williamson and Brownlie stand amid the ruins

Despite losing Tom Latham in the initial stages of their innings, it was skipper Kane Williamson and the returning Dean Brownlie who went ahead and began to secure the innings as they should have. While it was Brownlie who was playing every ball on merit, it was Williamson who played the role of the aggressor as he went ahead and helped himself to a half-century, something that included 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. The duo added 50 runs for the first wicket with the ball swinging in both directions.

3. Grandhomme and Southee add fireworks to the end of the innings

Colin de Grandhomme has been roped into the side ahead of Corey Anderson in the pretext of his big hitting and ability to take wickets at the appropriate times. However, this time, his ability to smash the ball many a mile came to the fore as he went ahead and ensured that the Kiwis would indeed finish on a high, something that would also see South Africa’s quest to improve death bowling a reality. However, despite all of this, Grandhomme went ahead and smashed the ball many a mile with 34 runs, 18 of those coming in sixes while Tim Southee would also go ahead and help himself to 24.

4. De Kock gets the Proteas off to a flier 

Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla got off to a decent start and thus laid the foundation for the rest of the innings, something that would ensure that the Proteas would indeed be in a good position to secure a victory on the day. However, while Amla was playing with some impressive batting acumen, it was Quinton de Kock who was batting quite well on the day, something that was helping the Proteas get towards the victory that they so deserved.

5. AB de Villiers and Phehlukwayo ensure that Proteas clinch thrilling victory

With the likes of Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy not getting the kind of scores they wanted, it was time for AB de Villiers and Andile Phehlukwayo. In spite of the latter batting only at number eight, it was quite clear that he ought to be batting higher up the order given his impressive batting acumen. However, despite all of this, there was indeed something that needed to be done towards the end of the innings. This would eventually ensure that the match would go on right till the final over with AB de Villiers striking a boundary of the penultimate delivery to ensure a win on the day.