South Africa vs New Zealand 2017: 2nd ODI, 5 Talking Points
Trent Boult's spectacular bowling and Ross Taylor's record hundred helped New Zealand level the five-match ODI series against South Africa at Christchurch. The win brought an end to the Proteas' 12-match winning streak in ODIs.
Electing to bowl first, the Proteas struggled to contain Taylor and Neesham after they had got through the top order. The pair helped New Zealand to 289 with an unbeaten 123-run partnership after Williamson notched up a fifty himself.
South Africa got off to a good start courtesy Quinton de Kock but New Zealand kept finding breakthroughs at regular intervals. AB de Villiers and David Miller were tasked with getting South Africa back on track, but Boult dismissed de Villiers after Sodhi had Miller and the game seemed to be reaching its climax.
But Dwaine Pretorius had other ideas and showed exactly why he is an underrated all-rounder in the Proteas team as he put on a 61 run stand for the ninth wicket with Andile Phehlukwayo. Pretorius hit a fifty in the process but Boult delivered an over full of yorkers that ended with one that crashed into Pretorius' stumps.
With 15 needed off the final over, Phehlukwayo could only manage four dots and two fours as South Africa fell six runs short.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 289/4 in 50 overs (Taylor 102, Neesham 71, Pretorius 2/40) beat South Africa 283/9 (de Kock 57, Pretorius 50, Boult 3/63)
Here are the talking points from the second ODI at Christchurch.
#1 Williamson falters against Tahir
New Zealand's biggest headache before the series against South Africa was Imran Tahir's sensational form. An unstoppable force in limited overs cricket, Tahir ripped through the Kiwi batsman with a five-wicket haul in the only T20 at Eden Park.
However, New Zealand coach, Hesson, and Kane Williamson decided to take the attack to the leggie and the move paid off in the first ODI where he went wicketless. In the second, Williamson and the others once again targeted the spinner.
While he was taken for 61 in his 10 over spell with Ross Taylor and Neesham playing him sublimely, Williamson could not quite execute his plans as he top edged Tahir to be dismissed after scoring a half-century.