Bavuma pledges improvement after end of title hopes

LAHORE: South Africa’s wait for ICC silverware continues after a 50-run defeat to New Zealand in Wednesday’s Champions Trophy semi-final, leaving captain Temba Bavuma to ponder crucial moments that decided their fate.

The Proteas, unbeaten until this encounter, were undone by twin centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson as the Black Caps posted a commanding 362/6 before restricting South Africa to 312 all out.

“It’s just those moments,” Bavuma said post-match talks. “Being more decisive and ruthless in key situations is what cost us. We gave the opposition chances to get back into the game when we should have gone for the kill.”

South Africa’s captain took personal responsibility after failing to convert a promising start into a match-defining innings. “From a batting perspective, we couldn’t build those crucial partnerships. Either myself or Rassie van der Dussen needed to emulate what their top four batters achieved,” he admitted.

The toss proved significant, with both teams preferring to bat first on a Lahore surface that favored setting a target. “New Zealand put us under pressure from the get-go,” Bavuma acknowledged.