Williamson’s Century Leads New Zealand to Tri-Series Final, Overshadowing Breetzke’s Record-Breaking Debut

Kane Williamson played a stellar innings, scoring a match-winning unbeaten 133, to steer New Zealand into the tri-series final with a dominant six-wicket victory over South Africa in Lahore on Monday. His superb knock eclipsed the remarkable 150 by debutant Matthew Breetzke, as the Black Caps comfortably chased down South Africa’s total at Gaddafi Stadium.

The result guarantees New Zealand's place in the final of the tri-series, a warm-up tournament for the much-anticipated eight-nation Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 in Pakistan and the UAE.

The second finalist will be decided on Wednesday when South Africa faces Pakistan in Karachi, with the final scheduled for Friday at the same venue.

Williamson’s century, his first in nearly five years in One-Day Internationals, came at a crucial time for New Zealand. He combined with opener Devon Conway in a match-changing partnership worth 187 runs, although Conway fell just short of a century, ending with 97. The pair provided a strong foundation after Will Young (19) was dismissed early, ensuring New Zealand stayed on track despite the losses of Daryl Mitchell (10) and Tom Latham (0).

The New Zealand captain exuded composure throughout, finishing the chase with a boundary in the 49th over, securing his team's second consecutive win in the tournament.

Earlier in the day, South Africa's Matthew Breetzke made history with an exceptional debut, scoring 150 — the highest ever by a player in his first ODI. His innings, which eclipsed the previous record of 148 by Desmond Haynes in 1978, included 11 fours and five sixes off 148 balls. Breetzke’s knock anchored South Africa’s total of 304-6, supported by key partnerships with Temba Bavuma (20) and Jason Smith (41).

Despite Breetzke’s heroics, South Africa’s bowlers struggled to contain a resilient New Zealand batting lineup. The South African team fielded four debutants due to the absence of several key players, either participating in a T20 league back home or recovering from injuries.

New Zealand, on the other hand, made a pivotal change to their lineup, bringing in Devon Conway in place of Rachin Ravindra, who was ruled out due to an injury sustained during their 78-run victory over Pakistan on Saturday.

As the tri-series reaches its conclusion, New Zealand’s dominant performance has set them up for a shot at the title, while South Africa and Pakistan will battle for the final spot.