LAHORE: Aiden Markram had one last look at the pitch as he walked off. The ball had sat up and he couldn’t adjust, offering a tame return to Rachin Ravindra at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a mammoth 363 to win, South Africa had been reduced to 189-5 at the end of the 33rd over; the ghosts of the past returning to haunt them.
In the crunch game of yet another ICC tournament, South Africa had flattered to deceive. Their dreams of Champions Trophy glory were quickly unravelling.
About 10 overs ago, South Africa had seemed to have got a foothold in the semi-final, only to be derailed by New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner (3-43).
After seeing the end of his South African counterpart Temba Bavuma (57), and ending a 105-run second-wicket stand in the process, Santner sent back Rassie van der Dussen (69) and Henrik Klassen in the space of 11 deliveries to put New Zealand in the box seat.
Michael Bracewell then removed Wiaan Mulder after Ravindra’s intervention and they seemed to have no answers as New Zealand strangled them with spin; Glenn Phillips picking up two wickets as well.
The writing was on the wall for South Africa, David Miller delaying the inevitable and completing his century off the last ball of the innings, providing some cheer to the crowd that had gathered for the last game of the tournament in Pakistan with the final between India and New Zealand to be played in Dubai on Sunday.
Miller’s 67-ball innings also provided some consolation for South Africa, who will now look to the next global white-ball event to end their title drought stretching to the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy — the predecessor of the Champions Trophy.
While Bavuma said South Africa lacked ruthlessness, head coach Rob Walter said his side hadn’t handled well the last 10 overs where New Zealand plundered 110 runs and earlier allowed Ravindra and Kane Williamson set the tempo with centuries apiece.
“Today wasn’t our best day although we played really well at the tournament,” Walter told a press conference. “We’ve will continue to keep learning … we’re evolving as a team. There are two-and-half years to 2027 [ODI World Cup] and all eyes are on the prize.”
Miller said “he was totally gutted” after the loss. “I think we had a nice tournament,” he told reporters. “It’s not easy chasing 360 but we had a good tournament and we had the foundation but we lost wickets in the middle. We’re all really proud of the guys. There’s a winner and loser and unfortunately that was us.”
South Africa had to make an unnecessary trip to Dubai after their final group game on Saturday to see if they will play the semi-final there or in Pakistan. India played their matches of the tournament in Dubai and it was pre-decided that their semi-final will be played in the UAE.
Miller said he didn’t want to “make any excuses but added it wasn’t an ideal situation.
“It’s only an hour and 40 minutes flight. But the fact that we had to fly out after the game early in the morning and we were in Dubai before coming [to Lahore] at seven in the morning … it doesn’t make it nice. It’s not that we flew five hours and we had time to recover and regroup but it wasn’t an ideal situation to be honest.”
With the final between India and New Zealand set for Dubai on Sunday, Miller provided the last roar of the Champions Trophy to the Pakistan crowd when he completed a double to reach his ton.
“Obviously the game was done but it was nice to get a hundred,” he said.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025
