Temba Bavuma Absent as Matthew Breetzke Shines
The match saw several records broken, including Breetzke's debut score and Williamson's fastest ODI hundred, and the stage is set for an exciting final between New Zealand and either Pakistan or South Africa, with the winner of the upcoming match between Pakistan and South Africa deciding the opponent for New Zealand.
Matthew Breetzke's record-breaking debut score of 150 off 148 balls was not enough to secure a win for South Africa as New Zealand won the match by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare, with Kane Williamson scoring 133 not out and Devon Conway adding 97 runs.
Breetzke's innings was marked by power, style, and creativity, breaking a 47-year-old record held by Desmond Haynes for the highest debut score in ODI history. However, the South African team's struggles continued, having lost 5 consecutive ODIs, with only 3 wins in 7 series under coach Rob Walter's tenure. The team's focus on winning an ICC trophy has led to a decline in their performance in bilateral ODI series.
New Zealand's win was led by the impressive performances of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson, who shared a crucial partnership to chase down the target of 305, their highest target chased away from home. Williamson's century, his first in nearly five years, was a highlight of the match, and he also reached 7000 ODI runs in 159 innings, only behind Rohit Sharma who achieved it in 150 innings.
The tri-series is a warm-up event for the eight-nation tournament starting on February 19 in Pakistan and the UAE, and Pakistan will play South Africa on Wednesday to decide which team will face New Zealand in the final on Friday. Breetzke's performance has raised hopes for the South African team, but they will need to regroup and refocus to turn their fortunes around.
