CHRISTCHURCH: Captain Raynard van Tonder and opener Matthew Breetzke notched superb hundreds and were part a record double-century stand as South Africa scored a comfortable 73-run win over New Zealand in the Super League play-off semifinal for fifth place at the ICC U-19 World Cup.
Van Tonder (117, 129b, 10x4, 1x6) and Breetzke (115, 132b, 8x4, 1x6) put paid to the host side’s hopes of bouncing back from a 202-run loss to Afghanistan in the quarter-finals as they added 231 runs for the second wicket in 37.3 overs, South Africa’s highest partnership in the tournament history.
The result of the match between the two losing quarterfinalists gives South Africa a chance to play the winner of Sunday’s match between Bangladesh and England on January 31, to decide the fifth place.
New Zealand will play the loser of Sunday’s match a day earlier, on January30, with the winner of that match finishing seventh in the tournament.
South Africa, champions in 2014, took control through van Tonder and Breetzke after electing to bat at the Hagley Oval.
The pair batted for a major part of the innings and the team total would have been more than the 284 for six that they managed, had they got a few good cameos down the order.
New Zealand were bowled out for 211 in reply with Dale Phillips (74, 82b, 5x4, 1x6) fighting it out without much support as South Africa’s new-ball bowlers wreaked havoc.
The 17-year-old Gerald Coetzee finished with five for 32, which included the prized scalps of opener Jakob Bhula (0) and Finn Allen (6), both of who were caught behind.
Left-armer Akhona Mnyaka finished with two for 49 and had the satisfaction of accounting for a well-set Philips.