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On October 2, New Zealand defeated South Africa by seven runs via the DLS method, after a steady downpour of rain gave the officials no choice but to call off the game at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. With the abrupt end to the proceedings in the warm-up match of the ODI World Cup 2023, both cricketing nations will head to the round-robin stage of the quadrennial spectacle without getting the desired practice.
For the unversed, this was the second consecutive win for New Zealand in two warm-up matches, after they had brushed aside Pakistan earlier. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, they chased down the 346 target in 43.4 overs with five wickets in hand.
On the other hand, this was the second straight warm-up match for South Africa marred by rain at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Three days ago, their fixture with Afghanistan was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
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Before the rains played spoilsport on October 2, the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and decided to bat first. Their batting lineup delivered a complete performance, scoring 321/6 in their allotted 50 overs, with Devon Conway and Tom Latham registering fifties to their name.
In the run chase, South Africa lost the wicket of Reeza Hendricks for zero, but then Rassie van der Dussen got a quick-fire fifty to get their innings back on track. With the scorecard reading 211/4 in 37 overs, Quinton de Kock was in control of the run chase with 84 not out off 89 balls, but the steady downpour of rain quashed his hopes of taking his team over the line.
