Ace hitter Kane Williamson led New Zealand to a resounding seven-wicket victory against South Africa in the second and final match. Kane Williamson’s exceptional century played a pivotal role in securing victory with one day left in the second Test match.
The Black Caps completed the run chase in the fourth inning of the game at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The home team achieved their first victory in a test series against the Proteas. Notably, the Kiwis recorded a 281-run victory during the first match of the series.
Young New Zealand seamer Will O’Rourke was named Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling performance in both innings. O’Rourke recorded nine wickets in his first Test appearance, including his first five-wicket haul in the second innings of the recent match.
Will O’Rourke takes four wickets in first innings
The South African team managed to score only 242 runs after opting to bat first. Matt Henry provided an early breakthrough for the Black Caps, dismissing opener Clyde Fortuin for a duck. Captain Neil Brand scored 25 runs before being dismissed by Will O’Rourke.
Raynard van Tonder (32), Zubayr Hamza (20) and David Bedingham (39) all had decent starts but failed to convert them into big scores, resulting in a collapse to 150/6. However, Ruan de Swardt (64) and Shaun von Berg (38) added 77 runs for the seventh wicket.
Will O’Rourke, who replaced Kyle Jamieson in the XI, finished with figures of 4/59. He fired Neil Brand, Shaun von Berg, Ruan de Swardt and Dane Paterson. O’Rourke also picked up two wickets from consecutive deliveries to eliminate the opposing team.
Dane Piedt takes five wickets in the first innings
Non-spinner Dane Piedt claimed five wickets in the first innings to bowl out the New Zealand team for just 211 runs. Kane Williamson scored 43 runs before being dismissed by Dane Piedt. New Zealand collapsed from 145/3, conceding a 31-run lead to the Proteas.
David Bedingham scores a memorable test hundred
During the second innings, the visiting team lost three wickets for just 39 runs. David Bedingham steadied the innings with a 98-run partnership with Keegan Petersen for the fifth wicket. Bedingham scored a memorable hundred, reaching 110 runs off 141 deliveries.
Matt Henry broke the partnership by removing Keegan Petersen, who scored 43 runs. The Proteas collapsed from 213-5 to a total of 235 all out. Will O’Rourke was instrumental in this collapse, claiming five wickets for 89 runs in the second innings in almost 33 overs.
Kane Williamson smashes 32nd spot in Test cricket
New Zealand suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Devon Conway on Day 3. Tom Latham was dismissed for 30 runs, leaving the home team at 53-2. Kane Williamson added a critical 64-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra for the third wicket of the chase.
Kane Williamson anchored the run chase and reached his 32nd ranking in Test cricket. He remained unbeaten on 133 runs off 260 balls with the help of 12 deliveries and two sixes. He added a 152-run partnership with Will Young, who scored 60 runs off 134 balls.
Short scores:
South Africa 242 (Ruan de Swardt 64, Will O’Rourke 4-59)
New Zealand 211 (Kane Williamson 43, Dane Piedt 5-89)
Also Read: Kane Williamson equals Younis Khan’s record for centuries in 4th innings during 2nd Test against South Africa
