Riding on speedster Dale Steyn’s brilliant last over South Africa registered their first win in the World Twenty20 after edging New Zealand by two runs in a nail biting finish at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday.
The win kept the Proteas alive in the tournament, after they had lost their first match to Sri Lanka, and moreover made the Group 1 wide open.
South Africa never lost a game defending more than 170 runs and Steyn made sure it stayed that way. The spearhead led the defence of 29 off the last three overs and seven off the final over to keep South Africa in the hunt for a semi-final spot.
The 30-year-old leaked only five runs in the first two overs he bowled – 3rd and 14th in the innings. South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis stored Steyn for the final phase of the innings and the strategy worked wonders.
New Zealand had a good start to the chase with openers Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson putting up 57 runs for the opening stand before Albie Morkel got the valuable breakthrough dismissing Guptill on 22. Imran Tahir removed the dangerous Brendon McCullum (4) early to keep the game balanced.
Williamson and Ross Taylor added 51 for the 3rd wicket but once the partnership was broken by Steyn in the 14th over, the Kiwis lost momentum and the game.
They lost five wickets in last four overs with three dismissals coming in the ultimate over when only seven runs were needed. The field on the leg side for Taylor was mostly up in the last ball with three needed, with boundary-riders on the off-side. Steyn pitched the ball up as Taylor only managed a push back to him. He ran anyway, but Steyn beat him to run him out as the Proteas went joyous over the win.
Earlier, South Africa never got the propelling start but recovered superbly with JP Duminy leading the way. They reached hundred in 15 overs before Duminy’s onslaught fetched 70 runs in the last five overs. He made 86 from just 43 balls while Hashim Amla contributed 41 from 40 deliveries to help South Africa post 170.
