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ISLAMABAD: Tazmin Brits struck her fifth century of the year to guide South Africa to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Women&rsquo;s World Cup at Holkar Stadium on Monday. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first, but their innings got off to a disastrous start. Suzie Bates was dismissed for a golden duck by Marizanne Kapp on the very first ball of the match. Georgia Plimmer (31) and Meli Kerr (23) managed to steady the ship, adding 44 runs for the second wicket before Kerr fell. Plimmer then combined with Sophie Devine for a 57-run partnership. Devine, who had scored a century in New Zealand&rsquo;s opening match, scored 85 runs off 68 balls, including a half-century. She and Brooke Halliday (45) forged the best partnership of the innings, adding 86 runs together. However, the introduction of Nonkululeko Mlaba turned the tide. Mlaba took key wickets in her second spell, triggering a collapse as New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 44 runs, including two run-outs.&nbsp; Mlaba finished with figures of 4-40 from 10 overs, the best by a South African bowler against New Zealand in a World Cup. New Zealand was bowled out for 231 in 49.4 overs. South Africa&rsquo;s chase began with an early setback, losing Laura Wolvaardt for 14. However, Brits took charge, racing to 50 off 44 balls. She and Sune Luus then put together a record-breaking 159-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest in South African World Cup history and the second-highest in ODIs against New Zealand. Brits brought up her century with a knock of 101 from 89 balls, surpassing Australia&rsquo;s Meg Lanning to score seven ODI hundreds in the fewest innings. Luus, who played a patient knock, finished unbeaten on 83 off 114 balls, guiding South Africa to victory. Brits was dismissed in the 32nd over, and Kerr struck twice to reduce South Africa to 213-4. But Luus ensured there were no further hiccups, hitting the winning runs with 55 balls to spare. South Africa reached 234-4 in 40.5 overs to secure their first win and points of the tournament after their opening loss, when they were bowled out for just 69. The victory moved South Africa up to fifth place in the standings.

Cricket

Scores her fifth century; Nonkululeko Mlaba takes 4-40; record 159-run partnership with Sune Luus secures South Africa’s first World Cup points.

Tazmin Brits century guides South Africa to six-wicket win over New Zealand

LONDON: New Zealand maintained their record of never losing back-to-back matches at the Women&#39;s Rugby World Cup with a 42-26 win over France in the third-place play-off at Twickenham on Saturday. The Black Ferns had the match all but won at half-time, leading 26-7 after outscoring Les Bleues four tries to one in the opening period with three of those scores coming in the closing eight minutes of the half.&nbsp;New Zealand teenage wing sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee struck twice in the second half to take her tally for her debut World Cup to 11 tries.&nbsp;It all meant New Zealand, the record six-time women&#39;s world champions, had enough in hand to withstand a France fightback in the last quarter as Les Bleues scored three more tries of their own.&nbsp;New Zealand found themselves in unfamiliar territory after their run of 18 consecutive World Cup wins ended with a 34-19 semi-final loss to an inspired Canada, the Black Ferns&#39; first loss at the tournament since 2014.&nbsp;&#39;Heart and passion&#39;&quot;That was for the wave of Black in here and at home,&quot; said New Zealand full-back Renee Holmes, the player of the match. &quot;It means everything, and that&#39;s what this team means. Thank you to the 50,000 in the crowd.&quot;&nbsp;New Zealand captain Ruahei Demant added: &quot;First of all, I&#39;m really proud of the way not just we but the French girls as well were able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and play with real heart and passion today.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m sure as we go home and sit and dwell, there&#39;ll be a lot more reflections to come around the growth in our game, the resourcing... there&#39;s been lots of positives as well.&quot;&nbsp;France, who have never reached the final, suffered a second defeat in their eighth bronze-medal game. They lost 35-17 by tournament hosts and favourites England in the semi-finals last weekend.&nbsp;&quot;When we went into the dressing room at half-time the score was quite heavily against us,&quot; said France co-head coach Gaelle Mignot. &quot;We tried to give them the right words.&nbsp;&quot;I was really impressed with the reaction in the second half, so I think there&#39;s a lot to believe in for the future.&quot;&nbsp;With Twickenham already two-thirds full ahead of an expected 82,000 sell-out for the final between England and Canada later Saturday, France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus crowned a flowing move for a 10th-minute try converted by Carla Arbez.&nbsp;New Zealand equalised when centre Stacey Waaka&#39;s sharp inside pass sent in fly-half Demant for a try between the posts.&nbsp;Black Ferns centre Sylvia Brunt, after several carries by the forwards, showed good strength to stretch over for a try eight minutes before the break.&nbsp;There was still time for New Zealand, increasingly dominant up front, to add two more tries before the interval.&nbsp;A give-and-go between Brunt and Renee Holmes ended with Holmes finishing unopposed before converting her own try and the fit-again Jorja Miller then set up second row Laura Bayfield.&nbsp;Sorensen-McGee sprinted in from some 30 yards out early in the second half.&nbsp;There was an emotional moment when New Zealand great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who reversed her retirement from 15-a-side rugby to play at this World Cup, was replaced in what could be the wing&#39;s last match at this level.&nbsp;At the other end of the age spectrum, Sorensen-McGee surged in for her second score of the match on the hour mark.&nbsp;France&#39;s Lea Champon and Gabrielle Vernier pulled tries back before Emilie Boulard went over with eight minutes remaining.&nbsp;But it was too little too late for France, with Holmes having the final say with a last-minute penalty.

Rugby

New Zealand beat France 42-26 in the Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place play-off at Twickenham. Teenage star Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored twice, securing 11 tries in her debut tournament, as the Black Ferns rebounded strongly after their semifinal defeat.

New Zealand over-power France to secure Women's Rugby World Cup Bronze  

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in New York on Friday that New Zealand will not be recognizing the state of Palestine at this time. &ldquo;With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future state of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,&rdquo; Peters said in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971718983637520693&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=021308110e693a6d0f1abb490d3dbc366f94e567&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 761px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;" data-tweet-id="1971718983637520693"></iframe></div></div></div>A New Zealand government&rsquo;s press release on Saturday, quoted the foreign minister as saying, &ldquo;We are also concerned that a focus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions.&rdquo; &lsquo;When the time is right&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;New Zealand has long been a staunch advocate of the two-state solution and a defender of Palestinians&rsquo; right to self-determination,&rdquo; Peters said. &ldquo;What is needed now more than ever is dialogue, diplomacy and leadership &ndash; not further conflict and extremism. &ldquo;New Zealanders are shocked by the harrowing images of famine in Gaza, revolted by the grossly disproportionate military action from the Israeli Government and disturbed by Israeli rhetoric and actions aimed at dismantling future prospects for a Palestinian state.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;New Zealand&rsquo;s position remains that it is a matter of when, not if we recognize the State of Palestine.&rdquo; &ldquo;Like every other New Zealand Government over the past 80 years, we hold the position that we will recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right. &lsquo;Complex issue&rsquo;&ldquo;What we are looking for now are real actions towards the full viability and legitimacy of the State of Palestine, rather than rhetoric in that direction; Israel to stop and reverse all actions aimed at destroying the two-state solution, including illegal settlements in the West Bank, and to return to meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians; the release by Hamas of all the hostages it holds; the disbanding and disarmament of Hamas; and the renouncement of violence by all Palestinian leaders who have yet to do so.&rdquo; Recognition of Palestine is a complex issue on which reasonable people can disagree, Peters said. &ldquo;Some of our close partners have chosen to recognize Palestine, and others have not. We do not question the good intentions of those who have chosen to recognize Palestine at this time. Indeed, we have a shared objective of trying to help bring about a two-state solution. Where we differ with some of our partners is on the issue of whether recognition now by New Zealand will make a tangible, positive contribution to the realization of a two-state solution.&rdquo; Immense suffering in GazaNew Zealand remains committed to doing its part to alleviate the immense suffering in Gaza, the New Zealand foreign minister said. The New Zealand Government has also today released Cabinet material associated with its decision on the recognition of Palestine, the New Zealand government&rsquo;s statement said.

Middle East

Australasia

New Zealand will not recognize Palestine at this time, citing ongoing conflict, Hamas' control in Gaza, and unclear future prospects. It supports a two-state solution but stresses recognition must occur when conditions are right.

Articles tagged with "New Zealand"

Tazmin Brits century guides South Africa to six-wicket win over New Zealand

New Zealand over-power France to secure Women's Rugby World Cup Bronze

New Zealand says it will not recognize state of Palestine at this time