South Africa v New Zealand the Kiwi report card - New Zealand player ratings

South Africa v New Zealand the Kiwi report card – New Zealand player ratings: It was the first time that New Zealand and South Africa were facing each other in ODI cricket after that epic semi final clash of the 2015 ODI World Cup. The series though came nowhere close to matching up to the excitement and thrill of that memorable encounter. Barring the first game which was somewhat engrossing, the rest two were pretty one-sided. The Proteas eventually won the series 2-1, and secured the 3^rd placed in the ICC ODI rankings by displacing New Zealand. Earlier the T20I series was drawn 1-1 as the Kiwis came back strongly to win the second game after going down in the first one comprehensively.

For the Kiwis, Guptill scored a smashing ton in the second ODI but apart from that they lacked a big score throughout. In the T20Is as well only he and Williamson were major contributors. The bowling was impressive in both formats as they performed well as a unit.

With the series concluded it is time to analyse the performance of the Black Caps. South Africa v New Zealand the Kiwi report card – New Zealand player ratings:

1. Tom Latham – 8/10:

Latham scored three consecutive fiftees in the ODI series and gave his side a solid platform each time. Though he was a bit slow, his composure at the crease was noteworthy. With more than 150 runs against a potent Proteas bowling line up Latham was a figure of calmness among all the flamboyance. Latham couldn’t do much in the only T20I he played as he consumed too many balls and managed just 12.

2. Martin Guptill – 7/10:

Guptill scored a match winning hundred in the second ODI and took his side to a comfortable 8 wicket victory. He had an injury in the first match during fielding and had to come in at number four in the New Zealand chase where he failed. Even in the last game he tried chasing a Dale Steyn delivery needlessly to depart cheaply. Guptill played exceedingly well in the 2 T20Is scoring a fifty in each game.

3. Kane Williamson – 5/10:

It was perhaps one of the rare ODI series where Williamson disappointed with the bat. Being the skipper of the side a lot was expected but he failed to convert his starts into anything substantial. Though he made more than 100 runs, he failed to play the big knock expected of him. Williamson made a fiery 42 in the 1st match of the T20I series which gave New Zealand a good start.

4. Grant Elliot – 4/10:

The hero of the epic semi final clash of the 2015 ODI World Cup, Elliot looked ordinary with the bat to say the least. Failing miserably in his batting, Elliot though, bowled pretty well and was able to strike crucial blows specially in the last game. Elliot didn’t do much of note with either bat or ball in the T20I series.

5. Luke Ronchi – 0/10:

The Kiwi wicket-keeper was a major let down in the series. Expected to play the aggressor’s role Ronchi, failed both as an opener and as a lower order batsman. When his side needed him to stick around he played some poor shots and left the Black Caps reeling. Ronchi made single digit scores in both the T20 internationals and capitulated cheaply in the ODIs as well.

6. Jimmy Neesham – 5/10:

The dashing left hander played just the opening game and scored a valuable 41 when it looked like New Zealand were out of the game. He didn’t feature in the XI in the last two matches as others were preferred over him. Neesham played in the final T20I and made a quickfire 33 to propel the Kiwis to a big score.

7. Colin Munro – 6/10:

Batting lower down the order In the ODIs he made some valuable contributions when the Kiwis had lost crucial wickets. But he failed to stay focussed in the death overs which meant New Zealand failed to take the games deep. Munro made an explosive 18 of 7 balls in the last T20I.

8. Nathan McCullum – 3/10:

Nathan McCullum got just one game in the ODI series that being the opening ODI. He bowled 5 overs giving away 29 runs with no wickets. Later when he was expected to deliver with the willow in the Kiwi chase, he ate up too many balls before getting eventually dismissed by Rabada. After failing to perform in the 1st T20I McCullum made a strong comeback in the 2nd one and picked 2 crucial scalps.

9. Adam Milne – 7/10:

Milne was one of the few bright stars for the Black Caps. He picked up 5 wickets in the ODI series at an economy of just over 4 and held his own when the South African batsmen were in attack mode. In the T20Is as well he was very economical.

10. Mitchell McClenaghan – 4/10:

McClenaghan just played the opening ODI, and was very expensive giving away 72 runs in the 10 overs as South Africa posted a 300 plus total. But he played some courageous strokes towards the end to keep New Zealand in the game, before eventually being sent on his way by a Dale Steyn yorker. In the 2nd T20I the left arm pacer picked up crucial wickets of Miller and Van Wyk thus ensuring a convincing Kiwi victory.

11. Ish Sodhi – 3/10:

Being the lead spinner of the side Sodhi was a major disappointment in the ODIs. He picked up just 1 wicket in the series and was pretty expensive as well. Sodhi will have to work harder on his skills if he wants to be a permanent member of the New Zealand ODI side. In the 2nd T20I, in which Sodhi got a chance he returned with impressive figures of 2-27 from 4 overs.

12. Ben Wheeler – 5/10:

Wheeler, the left arm quick, got 2 games in the ODI series and picked up 3 wickets. Though not being express when it comes to pace, he bowled with discipline. He picked up the crucial scalp of Rilee Rossouw in the last game to peg back the Proteas after a good start. Wheeler didn’t play any of the T20Is.

13. George Worker – 4/10:

Worker featured in just a couple of ODI games in the series and surprisingly was handed over the ball for just one over. He made a breezy 40 in the second game after New Zealand were cruising to a win. In the 1st game of the T20I series Worker’s performance was ordinary at best.

14. Doug Bracewell – 6/10:

Bracewell had a good return to international cricket as he picked up 4 wickets in the 2 ODI games, with an impressive economy of 4.25. He dismissed AB de Villiers with a fabulous change of pace in the last ODI to stop the Proteas from scoring a big total. Bracewell played the first T20I and returned with miserly figures of 1-17 in 3 overs.