Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

CWC 2019 – New Zealand v South Africa: 5 key talking points. NZ vs SA: 5 key talking points from their 2019 World Cup match.

“We left everything out there. That’s all I can ask”, said South African skipper Faf du Plessis, whose future as captain is surely up in the air.

It wasn’t meant to turn out like this from a South African perspective. It was meant to be a tournament where they would thrive off the lower expectations. Instead, their CWC 2019 campaign has only been an addition to their haunted history in World Cups.

New Zealand, on the other hand, continue to go on their merry way. They have just about confirmed their place in the Semi Finals, with their inspirational skipper Kane Williamson guiding them to victory with a magnificent century.

Here are five key talking points from the game that has all but ended South Africa’s Semi Final hopes.

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1. The best innings of CWC 2019 so far?

There have been some fine knocks in CWC 2019. Shikhar Dhawan’s amazing century with a broken thumb against Australia, Shakib Al Hasan’s superb 124* vs West Indies and Rohit Sharma’s fighting century on a challenging pitch vs South Africa come to mind.

However, this innings from Kane Williamson was special. Stuck at 80/4 with the all-rounders, Williamson held things together superbly, overcoming the concern of hitting the fielders consistently. Timing was at a premium on a two-paced surface, but Williamson never panicked. Luck was on his side at times, but as all class players do, he made the opposition pay, leading the Black Caps home in what was an excellent display of staying as cool as possible under pressure.

The best innings of the tournament to date? There is certainly a case for it.

2. The dreaded “C” word

Yes, that C word.

Had South Africa been playing New Zealand in a bilateral ODI series, there is every reason to believe they would be favourites to take it out. After all, South Africa have been good in such series of late, winning each of their last five bilateral ODI assignments heading into the World Cup.

However, something is different about South Africa in World Cups. The wave of pressure, of which the best teams ride well, seems to cripple the Proteas, on show yesterday when they seemed terrified at times of making a mistake. But, mistakes were aplenty, with blunder after blunder in the field only intensifying the detractors’ claims that they just aren’t cut out for it at World Cups.

Dropped catches, misfields and an incredible non-review at a desperate time against New Zealand’s best player. They had New Zealand in big trouble at 80/4. Despite Andile Phehlukwayo’s struggles, South Africa had to win it from that position.

In the end, 2019 is just another chapter in the story of hurt for the Proteas.

3. Lockie Ferguson’s moment of magic

Lockie Ferguson had a poor finish to the South African innings. A dropped catch off Rassie van der Dussen in the penultimate over was then followed by conceding a six and four off the final two balls to the same batsman.

However, we were treated to a moment of magic earlier in the innings. As Simon Doull beautifully articulated in commentary, Ferguson’s rise is testament to the improvement in his fitness. This has not only enabled Ferguson to bowl faster for longer, but also to bowl smarter, which was on show against key man Faf du Plessis. His dismissal was truly a moment of magic, following up a 149 km/h bouncer with a 148 km/h yorker that Faf is still getting his bat down to as we speak.

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4. Colin de Grandhomme with a performance NZ needed

Colin de Grandhomme bowling tight overs and then contributing significantly with the bat is a dream scenario for the Black Caps.

If New Zealand are to go all the way in this World Cup, they need impetus in the middle order, and ‘CDG’ came up with the goods yesterday as the pressure dialed up significantly after the fall of Jimmy Neesham. He brought up his fifty in just 39 balls, reducing the pressure on Williamson and lifting it on South Africa, of which they struggle to deal with in World Cups.

1/33 off 10 followed by 60 off 47 balls is a magnificent day’s work. Can he continue making a great impact for New Zealand in this World Cup?

5. Where to for Hashim Amla?

Hashim Amla got through a challenging period in the early overs when the ball was swinging around. Conditions weren’t easy, with all bowling testing Amla’s technique en route to achieving his 8,000th ODI run.

However, his innings divided opinion. Many believed it was from the old days, with a lack of proactive play a key factor in his strike rate and dismissal. Colin de Grandhomme was allowed to bowl freely. Amla’s scratchy innings against Afghanistan while chasing a small target against a dispirited attack on a flat track gave his detractors more ammunition, creating plenty of doubt as to whether he can score his runs quickly enough to propel South Africa further.

On the evidence on display in recent times, one feels Amla is on his final legs as an ODI cricketer. Post-World Cup 2019 might be the time to promote Rassie van der Dussen to opener and say goodbye to one of South Africa’s finest ever batsmen in the ODI format.

Also read: Be sure to check out my “key talking points” after each CWC 2019 game! The latest:

England v Afghanistan: Electric Eoin gives Rashid a day he Khan forget

Bangladesh v West Indies: Super Shakib and brilliant Liton hammer Windies

India vs Pakistan: India too good for hapless Pakistan

Download: Making cricket an interactive experience! Discover Harrison Cricket Apps ODI version. For full screenshots, click here.

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