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New Zealand 279 for 8 (Williamson 145*, Elliott 48, Morkel 3-71) v South Africa
Kane Williamson scored more than half New Zealand's total © Associated Press
This tour has seen New Zealand's cricketing credibility plummet but a first ODI series win would do much to repair their reputation. Victory in Kimberley would secure the series and Kane Williamson's magnificent, unbeaten 145 led his side to a competitive 279 for 8.
It was New Zealand's best effort of the tour. In the Tests and opening ODI their batting was constantly fighting against a tide of early wickets. Here they saved the collapse until later in the innings, losing 4 for 23 when they were well set. A platform had been laid and Williamson's best ODI score - and the highest by a New Zealand batsman against South Africa - led the innings well but they did not capitalise as they should have on a flat, hard, grassless wicket.
History suggests chasing is favourable at Kimberley with only two sides failing to win batting second in the 11 ODIs played on the ground: and they were Kenya and Namibia. But New Zealand have given themselves a chance of their first ODI series win in South Africa with their highest ODI total against them, largely made by Williamson.
Quality of timing is paramount for him, a diminutive figure with a limited range of strokes, but he found his touch to make the highest score in an ODI at this venue. He shuffled across his stumps to work length balls on off stump through the leg side, put away almost anything overpitched and played the spinners well - getting deep in his crease to pull boundaries from Faf du Plessis and using his feet well, too.
Twice he skipped down to lift Robin Peterson wide of long-on, the second occasion took him to 99; a single backward of point brought up his third ODI hundred and the first against major opposition. He went on to strike well in the latter stages of the innings - sending the final ball of the innings over long-on - and with some blows from Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills, New Zealand gathered a good total.
It was a decent result as they had lost their way having put together their best partnership of the tour and first hundred stand when Williamson and Grant Elliott added 127 runs in 128 balls. It was born out of a careful opening after Martin Guptill fended a catch to point in the third over. Just 19 came off the first ten; a cautious attitude understandable given previous premature collapses.
But having played watchfully against the new balls that swung for Rory Kleinveldt and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, New Zealand progressed. Williamson was the chief instigator of the 62 runs that were scored in the first 10 overs outside the Powerplay. He drove with excellent timing, initially against Kleinveldt and then against Ryan McLaren, who he cut him wide of third man and dispatched two half-volleys through the covers as 26 came of McLaren's first three overs.
Williamson began from a familiar base, walking out in the third over. Guptill made another duck but at least managed to face a delivery after being run out without facing in Paarl. But a 10-ball nought probably looked worse as he spooned a catch to point having failed to get inside a back-of-a-length ball from Kleinveldt that arrived quickly on him.
After dropping Rob Nicol, New Zealand promoted BJ Watling to open for the seventh time in ODIs. Two well struck drives were examples of his form on the tour but walking across his stumps, Watling fell lbw to become Morkel's 100th ODI wicket; Morkel playing in place of Dale Steyn as part of South Africa's "swap-around" policy.
The excellent partnership followed, with Elliott making a functional 48 in 63 balls, but he fell trying to ramp Kleinveldt in the second over of the Powerplay - taken after 32 overs - and the collapse which followed robbed New Zealand of any major acceleration.
The innings had been running to plan with a platform in place and Brendon McCullum arriving at No. 5 with a short period to explode. But he only managed to do so three times. He cut in the air past point before clearing his front leg and finding the boundary wide of midwicket. He added a straight six over Morkel's head having run down the wicket but in doing so again he swung, missed and lost his leg stump. It was a waste with 12 overs of the innings left.
Colin Munro and James Franklin then fell within eight balls and New Zealand looked out of power and failed to take full advantage of their position.
Kane Williamson scored more than half New Zealand's total © Associated Press
This tour has seen New Zealand's cricketing credibility plummet but a first ODI series win would do much to repair their reputation. Victory in Kimberley would secure the series and Kane Williamson's magnificent, unbeaten 145 led his side to a competitive 279 for 8.
It was New Zealand's best effort of the tour. In the Tests and opening ODI their batting was constantly fighting against a tide of early wickets. Here they saved the collapse until later in the innings, losing 4 for 23 when they were well set. A platform had been laid and Williamson's best ODI score - and the highest by a New Zealand batsman against South Africa - led the innings well but they did not capitalise as they should have on a flat, hard, grassless wicket.
History suggests chasing is favourable at Kimberley with only two sides failing to win batting second in the 11 ODIs played on the ground: and they were Kenya and Namibia. But New Zealand have given themselves a chance of their first ODI series win in South Africa with their highest ODI total against them, largely made by Williamson.
Quality of timing is paramount for him, a diminutive figure with a limited range of strokes, but he found his touch to make the highest score in an ODI at this venue. He shuffled across his stumps to work length balls on off stump through the leg side, put away almost anything overpitched and played the spinners well - getting deep in his crease to pull boundaries from Faf du Plessis and using his feet well, too.
Twice he skipped down to lift Robin Peterson wide of long-on, the second occasion took him to 99; a single backward of point brought up his third ODI hundred and the first against major opposition. He went on to strike well in the latter stages of the innings - sending the final ball of the innings over long-on - and with some blows from Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills, New Zealand gathered a good total.
It was a decent result as they had lost their way having put together their best partnership of the tour and first hundred stand when Williamson and Grant Elliott added 127 runs in 128 balls. It was born out of a careful opening after Martin Guptill fended a catch to point in the third over. Just 19 came off the first ten; a cautious attitude understandable given previous premature collapses.
But having played watchfully against the new balls that swung for Rory Kleinveldt and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, New Zealand progressed. Williamson was the chief instigator of the 62 runs that were scored in the first 10 overs outside the Powerplay. He drove with excellent timing, initially against Kleinveldt and then against Ryan McLaren, who he cut him wide of third man and dispatched two half-volleys through the covers as 26 came of McLaren's first three overs.
Williamson began from a familiar base, walking out in the third over. Guptill made another duck but at least managed to face a delivery after being run out without facing in Paarl. But a 10-ball nought probably looked worse as he spooned a catch to point having failed to get inside a back-of-a-length ball from Kleinveldt that arrived quickly on him.
After dropping Rob Nicol, New Zealand promoted BJ Watling to open for the seventh time in ODIs. Two well struck drives were examples of his form on the tour but walking across his stumps, Watling fell lbw to become Morkel's 100th ODI wicket; Morkel playing in place of Dale Steyn as part of South Africa's "swap-around" policy.
The excellent partnership followed, with Elliott making a functional 48 in 63 balls, but he fell trying to ramp Kleinveldt in the second over of the Powerplay - taken after 32 overs - and the collapse which followed robbed New Zealand of any major acceleration.
The innings had been running to plan with a platform in place and Brendon McCullum arriving at No. 5 with a short period to explode. But he only managed to do so three times. He cut in the air past point before clearing his front leg and finding the boundary wide of midwicket. He added a straight six over Morkel's head having run down the wicket but in doing so again he swung, missed and lost his leg stump. It was a waste with 12 overs of the innings left.
Colin Munro and James Franklin then fell within eight balls and New Zealand looked out of power and failed to take full advantage of their position.