Williamson's century guides New Zealand into final

Lahore, Feb. 11: Star cricketer Kane Williamson hit a brilliant century to take New Zealand into the tri-series final with a thumping six-wicket win on Monday, overshadowing South African opener Matthew Breetzke's record score on debut.

Breetzke scored 150 -- the highest score by any batter in his first one-day international -- to lift South Africa to 304-6 but Williamson's unbeaten 133 proved match winning at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The tri-series is a warm-up event before the eight-nation Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan, the third team in the tri-series, will play South Africa on Wednesday in Karachi to decide who meets New Zealand in the final at the same venue on Friday.

Williamson hit his first ODI century in nearly five years on Monday and was ably supported by opener Devon Conway who missed his century by just three runs. The pair added a solid 187 runs for the second wicket after Will Young was dismissed for 19, steadily setting New Zealand's second win in as many games in the tri-series.

"You need partnerships to chase targets and it was an outstanding knock from Conway and that partnership between him and Kane that led us to the win," said New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner.

Williamson was so assured of finishing the game that the loss of Daryl Mitchell (10) and Tom Latham (nought) did not deter him as he hit the winning boundary to seal the win in 48.4 overs.

Meanwhile a new record for the highest ODI score on debut was clinched by Breetzke, who smacked 11 fours and five sixes, topping the 148 scored by Desmond Haynes for West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 1978.

South Africa's skipper Temba Bavuma said the record was among "some positives" in the match.

Breetzke hit New Zealand pacer Will O'Rourke for a boundary to reach three figures off 128 balls, becoming the fourth player from his country to hit a century on ODI debut.

South Africa were forced to give four debuts in this match as their top players were either active in a Twenty20 league back home or recovering from injuries.

New Zealand brought in Conway for Rachin Ravindra who got injured in team's 78-run win over Pakistan in Lahore on Saturday.

India clinch series

Skipper Rohit Sharma defied a floodlight failure to return to form with a cracking 119 as India swept to a four-wicket, series-clinching win over England in the second one-day international on Sunday.

Chasing 305 for victory, Rohit's 90-ball knock, laced with 12 fours and seven sixes, set up the chase as India achieved victory with 33 balls to spare in Cuttack.

The hosts took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, which comes ahead of the 50-over Champions Trophy starting February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai.

Rohit reigned supreme with his 32nd ODI ton in 76 balls with a six off leg-spinner Adil Rashid after he put on 136 runs with opening partner Shubman Gill.

Rohit, who scored two in the opening match, took on the bowlers with a flurry of boundaries.

A 20-minute break due to a floodlight failure at the ground did not stop Rohit, who reached his fifty to overcome a lean patch in India's recent Test series defeat in Australia.

He averaged just 10.37 in his previous 16 innings before the ODI series across all formats in the 2024-25 season.

Vice-captain Gill, who made 60, struck his second successive half-century in 45 balls after he made 87 in the opening win.

Jamie Overton took down Gill and India lost Virat Kohli, who missed the opener due to a sore right knee, caught behind for five off Rashid.

India stuttered in the middle but Shreyas Iyer's 44 and an unbeaten 41 by Axar Patel steered the team home.

Earlier Ben Duckett and Joe Root stood out for England with scores of 65 and 69 to help their team to 304 all out in 49.5 overs.

Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja returned figures of 3-35. (AFP)