New Zealand earn trip back to Dubai “Vuma! Vuma! It’s not every day that a crowd chants Temba Bavuma’s name. In fact, it’s pretty rare. But the fans at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore weren’t just any crowd.
For years, they had been starved of international cricket. Between the 1996 World Cup final and this edition of the Champions Trophy, they hadn’t witnessed an ICC event on home soil. And for six long years—from March 2009 to May 2015—not a single international match was played in Pakistan after a horrifying terror attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus left seven dead and six injured.
So when the tournament finally arrived, Lahore was ready. But fate had other plans. Pakistan never got to play at home—first facing New Zealand in Karachi, then losing their game against Bangladesh to rain in Rawalpindi. The highly anticipated Pakistan-India clash, which should have been played in Lahore, was moved to Dubai. And now, with India in the final, the title decider will take place there as well.
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Security concerns meant the BCCI refused to send their team to Pakistan, and the ICC, caught between politics and finances, couldn’t argue.
So, on Wednesday, Lahore knew it was witnessing its final game of the tournament. Fans cheered for both teams, waved different flags, and celebrated cricket itself. But amidst the usual passion, there was something different. Something special.
It came as Bavuma sent Kyle Jamieson’s delivery sailing over backward square leg for a six. Moments later, he drove another ball crisply through the covers, only for Glenn Phillips to pull off an acrobatic save.
Bavuma, alongside Rassie van der Dussen, gave South Africa hope with a solid 105-run partnership. By the end of the powerplay, both teams were level at 56/1. But things changed quickly.
In the 23rd over, Bavuma edged a sharply turning ball from Mitchell Santner to backward point. Then Santner bowled Van der Dussen and dismissed Heinrich Klaasen with the help of a brilliant catch from Matt Henry. Aiden Markram followed soon after, gifting a return catch to Rachin Ravindra. In just 38 balls, South Africa lost three wickets for 28 runs.
At the 20-over mark, the Proteas were just four runs behind New Zealand with an equal number of wickets lost. Five overs later, they had lost an extra batter. By the 30th over, they were seven runs and three wickets behind.
And then, as Hemingway famously put it, the collapse happened “gradually, then suddenly.” South Africa slid to 200/6 by the 36th over. David Miller fought back with a gutsy unbeaten century off 67 balls, taking them to 312/9, but the damage was already done.
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Chasing 362 was always going to be a tough ask. New Zealand’s record-breaking total was built on a superb 164-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra (108 off 101) and Kane Williamson (102 off 94).
Would South Africa have had a better chance if they were up against Australia? Maybe. After all, before this game, only two teams in ODI history had successfully chased down more than 363 runs. Both times, it was South Africa. Both times, it was against Australia.
First, the iconic 438-run chase at the Wanderers in 2006. Then, the 372-run chase in Durban a decade later.
But this time, history wasn’t on their side.
New Zealand will now return to Dubai, where they lost to India by 44 runs. It will be their seventh ICC final across formats—they have won two so far.
As for South Africa, they head home. Out of 21 ICC knockout matches, they have won just six. But unlike some of their past heartbreaks, this wasn’t a choke—it was simply a fair defeat to a better team on the day.
Bavuma’s squad had already endured a chaotic travel schedule. They were forced to fly to Dubai on Sunday, just in case they had to play India there in the semi-final. They spent barely 18 hours in the UAE before heading back to Lahore.
Would they have had the energy for yet another trip to Dubai, even if a trophy was on the line? Probably not. The same could be said for New Zealand.
India, though? They’ve barely had to travel at all. Their entire tournament has been played in Dubai. One more game won’t be an issue for them.