Devon Conway’s half-century propelled New Zealand to a seven-run victory over South Africa in a rain-affected warm-up game for the World Cup. South Africa was chasing a target of 322 for victory when rain interrupted play, leaving them seven runs short of the Duckworth-Lewis (DL) par score with 13 overs remaining.
New Zealand, the 2019 World Cup runners-up, won the toss and chose to bat in Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield International Stadium. Opener Devon Conway played a crucial role, scoring 78 runs from 73 balls to set the stage for the Blackcaps. Captain Kane Williamson also contributed 37 runs.
Conway and Williamson left the field as a precautionary measure, but both retirements were not due to serious injuries. New Zealand finished their innings at 321-6. Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen took three wickets each for South Africa.
In their chase, Quinton de Kock anchored South Africa’s innings and had significant partnerships with Rassie van der Dussen (51) and Heinrich Klaasen (39). De Kock remained unbeaten at 84 when the match was interrupted by rain. South Africa is likely to feel disappointed with the outcome, as they were well-placed to win. The Proteas will face Sri Lanka in their World Cup opener on Saturday.
