De Villiers guides SA home

It was an emphatic response by the world’s top-ranked ODI side after losing to New Zealand in the second match on Wednesday. De Villiers’ innings of 85, during which he became the fastest player to 9,000 ODI runs, lifted his side to 271 for eight and outstanding bowling effort by Dwaine Pretorious and Andile Phehulkwayo ensured New Zealand never threatened.

Pretorious took three for five off 32 deliveries and Phehulkwayo finished with two for 12 off 30 balls. South Africa were keen to bat first when they won the toss and while they too had their jitters de Villiers had support from Quinton de Kock (68) to give their innings some respectability. 

New Zealand’s reply started disastrously with both openers gone inside three overs with the out-ofform Tom Latham out for a duck and Dean Brownlie gone for two. 

De Grandhomme, who delivered his 10 overs in one spell, rocked the South African innings with the wickets of de Kock and du Plessis in the space of four balls to finish with two for 40.