Champions Trophy: Ravindra, Williamson lead NZ to 50-run win over SA, set up summit clash with India
Lahore, Mar 5 (PTI): Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson struck commanding centuries as New Zealand hammered South Africa by 50 runs in a high-scoring semifinal to set up a summit clash with India in the Champions Trophy, here on Wednesday.
Ravindra played a brilliant knock of 108 runs off 101 balls, laced with 13 fours and a six, while Williamson struck 102 off 94 balls, including 10 fours and two sixes, after skipper Mitchell Santner opted to bat.
Daryl Mitchell (49 off 37 balls), Glenn Phillips (49 not out off 27 balls) and Michael Bracewell (16 off 12 balls) then capitalized on the solid foundation, adding 112 runs in the final 10 overs to power New Zealand to a massive total of 362/6 -- the highest score in Champions Trophy history.
Only twice has a higher target been successfully chased in ODIs -- both by South Africa -- but this time it was not to be as the Proteas were restricted to 312 for 9 in pursuit of the record target, despite a scintillating century from David Miller (100 not out off 67 balls) and fighting fifties by Rassie van der Dussen (69) and skipper Temba Bavuma (56).
Santner (3/43) was the most successful New Zealand bowler, as he, along with the other spinners -- Michael Bracewell (1/53), Glenn Phillips (2/27) and Ravindra (1/20) -- tightened the screws in the middle overs.
New Zealand will now face former champions India in the final on Sunday in Dubai. Wednesday's semifinal marked the end of Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan.
Chasing 363 for a win, South Africa lost Ryan Rickelton early for 17, but Bavuma, who initially struggled, found his rhythm and shared a vital 105-run partnership with van der Dussen, with the duo bringing up the team century in the 18th over.
However, New Zealand skipper Santner's three-wicket burst derailed the chase.
The left-arm spinner first broke the stand by removing Bavuma in the 23rd over, before producing a beauty to clean up van der Dussen. Santner then had the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (3) holed out to Matt Henry.
Ravindra then dismissed Aiden Markram (31) with a caught-and-bowled effort, leaving South Africa at 189 for 5 in the 33rd over. Wiaan Mulder (8), Marco Jansen (3) and Keshav Maharaj (1) followed in quick succession before Miller put up a top-class show with 10 fours and four sixes to reach his hundred in the last ball of the South African run chase.
Earlier, opting to bat, New Zealand built a strong opening stand of 48 between Ravindra and Will Young (21), before the latter was dismissed by Lungi Ngidi (3/72) in the eighth over.
Ravindra and Williamson then shared 164 runs for the second wicket as the Kiwis crossed 250 in the 40th over.
Ravindra, looking in complete control, played exquisite pull shots and back-foot drives on his way to his second century of this Champions Trophy, following his 112 against Bangladesh. This was his fifth hundred in an ICC tournament, having also scored three centuries in the 2023 World Cup in India.
Williamson, despite early jitters, batted calmly to bring up his 15th ODI century and his fourth against South Africa. He has now scored hundreds in his last three ODIs against the Proteas.
The right-left combination of Ravindra and Williamson proved difficult for the South African bowlers. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder was forced off with a strain after bowling six overs for 48 runs and one wicket.
Ravindra was caught by Heinrich Klaasen off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada (2/70), while Williamson mistimed a ramp shot to be caught by Ngidi off Mulder.
Mitchell then struck four fours and one six in his 37-ball knock, while Phillips blasted six fours and a six in 27 balls to swell the total.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
