Miller’s century not enough to get Proteas past Black Caps in ICC Champions Trophy semi-final

New Zealand 362/6 (Ravindra 108, Williamson 102, Phillips 49*, Mitchell 49; Ngidi 3/72, Rabada 2/70)

South Africa 312/9 (Miller 100*, Van der Dussen 69,  Bavuma 56; Santner 3/43, Phillips 2/27)

Result: New Zealand won by 50 runs

For the second time within a week, New Zealand and India are set to meet at the Dubai International Stadium.

Only on Sunday, they will be playing for the grand prize in the ICC Champions Trophy final after the Black Caps comfortably beat the Proteas by 50 runs in the second semi-final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday evening.

It was the Proteas’ fifth despairing defeat in an ICC Champions Trophy semi-final.

Despite David Miller’s 67-ball unbeaten 100, the Proteas were hardly ever in the contest from the moment captain Temba Bavuma lost the toss on a docile surface.

Rachin Ravindra (108) and Kane Williamson (102) took full advantage of the batter-friendly conditions with sublime centuries, and coupled with cameos from Daryn Mitchell (49) and Glenn Phillips (49 not out), set up a record 363-run target.

In these modern days of uninhibited batting and having witnessed Australia chase down a similar total against England at the same venue at the start of the competition, there would have been a belief within the Proteas’ change-room at the dinner break that history could be made. 

But for the target to be attainable, many things still need to go right, starting with building stealthy partnerships. Like the 164-run stand Ravindra and Williamson had masterfully put together for the Black Caps earlier. 

Susceptible to New Zealand’s spin attack, the best the Proteas’ could muster in response was a 105-run stand between Bavuma (56) and Rassie van der Dussen (69).

Comparatively, the Proteas were on track at that stage, but they needed one – or even both – to take it all the way through and get a hundred ... and a big-daddy one too.

Instead, it was New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner who had the biggest impact on the game.

Unlike the Proteas’ left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who went wicketless while Ravindra and Williamson were in command, Santner delivered three telling strikes with his left-arm spin.

Santner (3/43) started the procession when he had his Proteas counterpart Bavuma caught at point by Williamson, before hauling out an absolute peach to clean-bowl Van der Dussen.

Well-flighted to draw Van der Dussen forward, it angled into middle and leg, and then gripped off the surface to skid through and hit middle- and leg-stump. Needless to say, Santner was pleased with the delivery. 

But the biggest celebration was kept for a few moments later, though, when Santner had the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen caught at long-on.

Klaasen, attempting his favourite shot off the back foot, could not get the elevation he usually does, and succumbed to a good catch in the outfield by Matt Henry.

The Black Caps knew it. The Proteas knew it. And everyone inside the Gaddafi International Stadium knew it – there was no way back for the Proteas from here. 

And so it proved, with wickets now tumbling regularly, with fellow off-spinner Phillips (2/27) picking up a couple, along with Michael Bracewell (1/53), and even Ravindra’s part-timers accounting for Aiden Markram. 

Miller played a lone hand down the order, but was too circumspect in his rebuilding operation, and was ultimately left with too much to do at the back-end.

He could take little consolation from reaching three figures (off 67 balls, 10x4, 4x6) off the very last ball of the innings.

The Proteas will depart Pakistan knowing that they were once again found wanting at the business end of a major competition, with their story having an all too familiar sad ending.