Proteas restricted to 128-7 by NZ

LONDON: New Zealand bowlers restricted South African batsmen to 128 runs for seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs in their final Group D match of the ICC World Twenty20 here at Lord’s on Tuesday.

After New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and elected to field, South Africa batted cautiously as their openers captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis made 49 from 43 balls.

After Kallis departed, run out for 24, South Africa came under pressure and began losing wickets at regular intervals.

Smith top scored with 33 and later Jean-Paul Duminy scored 29 with two sixes.

For New Zealand, Ian Butler claimed two wickets for 13 runs while Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills took one wicket each.

Both sides were already through to the second round Super Eights after beating minnows Scotland.

New Zealand were again without regular captain Daniel Vettori, ruled out for the second match in a row with a shoulder injury.

They gave the three remaining members of their squad who had not played against Scotland - Brendon Diamanti, Kyle Mills and Neil Broom - their first match of this tournament.

South Africa were unchanged from the side that thrashed Scotland by 130 runs.

Teams:
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (captain), Martin Guptill, Neil Broom, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Peter McGlashan (wk), Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum, Brendon Diamanti, Ian Butler

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell.