The Proteas took a walloping from the bat of Martin Guptill as the Black Caps handed SA an 8 wicket defeat in the second ODI.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first in Potchefstroom. They labored through the first few overs, Amla, Rossouw and De Villiers failing to make any real impact. The home side found themselves at a dismal 134-6 in the 32nd over. Farhaan Behardien top scored with 70 runs in what was the only positive of the game for the hosts. SA was bowled out with ease for 204 before Martin Guptill scored another century to hand New Zealand the win at a canter with 33 balls to spare.
South Africa played some of their worst cricket on Sunday after a positive display in the first game before that. The Proteas biggest flaw now, and for a while, has been consistency. And it’s an issue that soon needs to be addressed in the ODI format before we’re left behind.
So, it’s all square as the teams head out for the third game on Wednesday in Durban. The Proteas need to rally together if they wish to avoid another series loss following on from Bangladesh. Lose, and it leaves AB and the boys with some massive introspection to do before a tough tour to India in a few weeks. The batting performance needs to be improved, Amla and De Villiers need to stamp their authority early, and the bowlers to fire off wickets if we’re to avoid a humiliating loss at home.
Cricket Betting Odds
South Africa currently sit at 9/20 for a win as opposed to New Zealand at 18/10. Be sure to check out BetXchange for a wide variety of bets you can place on the match including toss winner, methods of dismissal, top batsman and top wicket taker.
