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Cricket World Cup 2019 Results: Wednesday's Top Run-Scorers, Latest Schedule

James Dudko@@JamesDudkoFeatured ColumnistJune 19, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JUNE 19: Kane Williamson of New Zealand pulls a delivery to the mid wicket boundary during the Group Stage match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 between New Zealand and South Africa at Edgbaston on June 19, 2019 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images,)
Michael Steele/Getty Images

New Zealand beat South Africa by four wickets, in a match delayed by overnight rain, at the 2019 Cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

Kane Williamson's 106 not outhis first century at a World Cupsent the Black Caps comfortably en route to reaching their target of 242 at Edgbaston.

In the process, he also joined the 10 most-prolific run-scorers at the tournament so far as New Zealand went back to the top of the group.

Chris Morris couldn't get Williamson out but he still took three wickets for South Africa, after Lockie Ferguson had done the same for the Black Caps, to keep pace with the top wicket-takers.

Wednesday Result

  • New Zealand (245-6) bt. South Africa (241-6) by four wickets

Standings (Won, Lost, Net Run Rate, Points)

1. New Zealand: 4, 0, +1.591, 9

2. England: 4, 1, +1.862, 8

3. Australia: 4, 1, +0.812, 8

4. India: 3, 0, +1.029, 7


5. Bangladesh: 2, 2, -0.270, 5

6. Sri Lanka: 1, 2, -1.778, 4

7. West Indies: 1, 3, +0.272, 3

8. South Africa: 1, 4, -0.193, 3

9. Pakistan: 1, 3, -1.933, 3

10. Afghanistan: 0, 5, -2.089, 0

The Top 4 qualify for the semi-finals.

Top Run-Scorers

1. Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh: 384

2. Joe Root, England: 367

3. Aaron Finch, Australia: 343

4. Rohit Sharma, India: 319

5. David Warner, Australia: 281

6. Eoin Morgan, England: 249

7. Steve Smith, Australia: 243

8. Kane Williamson, New Zealand: 225

9. Jonny Bairstow, England: 218

10. Jason Roy, England: 215

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Mohammad Amir, Pakistan: 13

2. Mitchell Starc, Australia: 13

3. Jofra Archer, England: 12

4. Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand: 11

5. Pat Cummins, Australia: 11

6. Mark Wood, England: 9

7. Chris Morris, South Africa: 9

8. Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh: 9

9. Imran Tahir, South Africa: 8

10. Matt Henry, New Zealand: 7

Visit the tournament's official website to see the list in full.

Thursday Schedule

  • Australia vs. Bangladesh: 10:30 a.m. BST/5:30 a.m. ET 

Full Schedule available, per the competition's official website.

South Africa's batting order was disrupted at key times by Ferguson, whose trio of wickets included sending Faf du Plessis packing in style:

Cricket World Cup @cricketworldcup

This Lockie Ferguson yorker to Faf du Plessis just gets better with every loop 🔥 #BackTheBlackCaps | #CWC19 https://t.co/ZNRKBoPSa6

Later, New Zealand needed Williamson after openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro were dismissed. The latter went for nine after being caught and bowled by Kagiso Rabada.

At least Guptill managed a steady 35 before he unluckily knocked his own bails off when attempting to make a run off a testing delivery from Andile Phehlukwayo.

Williamson entered the fray and quickly set about reaching 50. He found the boundary six times to improve an already enviable average:

bet365 @bet365

Kane Williamson has now made scores of 40, 79* and 50* at the Cricket World Cup. Batting at an average of 169 - higher than any other batsman in the tournament. #SAvNZ #CWC19 https://t.co/sgIyyV1LmE

The 28-year-old had soon achieved a rare personal feat at this level:

OptaJim @OptaJim

2 - @BLACKCAPS captain Kane Williamson has hit back-to-back 50s for the first time in @cricketworldcup matches. Anchor. #cwc19 #NZvSA https://t.co/wX5jWc64a9

Williamson was carrying the fight by himself as James Neesham soon left the crease. He'd swung recklessly at a cross-seam ball from Morris, and Hashim Amla was left to make a simple catch in the slip.

Morris was proving a problem for the Black Caps. He'd already taken the wickets of Ross Taylor and Tom Latham, with Quinton de Kock making the catch on both occasions.

Left-handed Latham had been fooled by a bounce off the seam taking the ball away. His desperate swing made contact but also made the task easy for De Kock.

Williamson had seen enough of Morris and soon sent his next cross-seam ball to the boundary. The skipper also finally had a productive partner in the form of Colin de Grandhomme.

De Grandhomme's 60 proved useful.
De Grandhomme's 60 proved useful.OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

He put up 60 but fell to a costly catch from Du Plessis off a Lungi Ngidi delivery. It left the Black Caps needing 14 runs off 11 balls.

Fortunately for them, Williamson was still at the wicket. He slogged a four and a six, before landing the single New Zealand needed to make a deserved return to the summit.