Kane Williamson delivered a stellar performance with the bat for New Zealand in their 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal against South Africa in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5. The right-hander played a brilliant knock of 102 runs off 94 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and two sixes.
This marked his third consecutive century against the Proteas and his 15th overall in ODIs. In his previous outing, Williamson had scored 81 against India in the final group-stage match in Dubai.
During his innings, Williamson also became the first New Zealand cricketer to surpass 19,000 international runs across formats, joining an exclusive club as the 16th player to achieve this feat. Fans on X praised Williamson for stepping up in the high-stakes semifinal against South Africa.
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Williamson and Ravindra’s tons put New Zealand on top in the semifinal
Centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, along with crucial cameos from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, powered New Zealand to 362/6 against South Africa in the second semifinal of the Champions Trophy.
After the centurions laid a strong foundation with a brilliant 164-run partnership, New Zealand capitalized in the death overs, smashing 110 runs in the final 10 overs in Lahore to post a formidable total.
Besides Kane, the talented Rachin Ravindra scored 108 off 101 balls, hitting one six and 13 boundaries. The pair built a crucial 174-run stand for the second wicket after New Zealand lost Will Young for 21 in the eighth over.
The winner of this match will face Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, March 9. The Men in Blue secured their spot by defeating Steve Smith’s Australia by four wickets with 11 balls to spare.
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