SA post competitive 185/6 against NZ‚ but should have scored more

Hashim Amla’s half-century and cracking cameos by captain AB de Villiers and JP Duminy earned South Africa a competitive total in their one-off T20 against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday morning.

South Africa posted 185/6‚ the fourth-highest score in the 13 internationals played at the ground in this format.

But they were prevented from capitalising on a roaring start by a sturdy New Zealand effort in the second half of the innings.

Opener Amla made 62 off 43 balls with nine fours and a six‚ a measured innings that kept him at the crease into the 14th over.

De Villiers drilled his 26 off 17 balls‚ hitting thee fours and a six.

Twenty-nine runs flowed off the 156 balls faced by Duminy‚ who hammered two fours and two sixes.

• New Zealand favourites to beat SA in T20‚ if you believe in rankingsSouth Africa and New Zealand are in close competition as test and one-day teams‚ formats in which the Proteas are two places ahead of the Black Caps in both sets of rankings. 

South Africa stumbled to 15/1 in the third over when Trent Boult had Quinton de Kock caught at deep square leg for a fourth-ball duck.

Enter Faf du Plessis to help Amla put South Africa’s innings back on track with a stand of 87 that lasted for 51 balls before Du Plessis was trapped in front for 36 by Colin de Grandhomme.

Against a New Zealand attack that seemed to run out of ideas in the first half of the innings‚ South Africa looked locked and loaded for a total somewhere north of 200.

• Phangiso bewildered by continued SA ODI snubLions and Proteas spinner Aaron Phangiso is surprised he keeps being overlooked by national selectors with the Champions Trophy to be held in England and Wales less than four months away. 

But the Kiwis fought back well‚ and the visitors - who were 98/1 midway through their 20 overs - lost five wickets and could add only 87 runs in their second 10.

Boult was the star of what turned into a solid bowling display‚ taking 2/8 from his fours overs. Sixteen of his 24 deliveries were dot balls.

 - TMG Dogital