SIMON LOUISSON, Auckland | Saturday 9.00pm.
DARYLL Cullinan scored a searing 94 from just 56 balls as rampant South Africa defeated New Zealand by 143 runs in the fifth limited-overs international at Eden Park on Saturday.
The New Zealanders never recovered from a South African batting blitz led by Cullinan as the visitors took a 3-2 series lead with one match remaining.
After suffering two early setbacks, South Africa posted a massive 290 for five declared thanks to 100 from Jacques Kallis, the sizzling innings of man-of-the-match Cullinan and 70 from Gary Kirsten.
New Zealand then lost wickets in a steady stream and succumbed in the 37th over to be all out for 147.
Cullinan, who in his last innings at Eden Park set a South Africa Test record of 275 not out, smashed seven sixes and five fours and until he was bowled by Geoff Allott was on track to hit the third-fastest century in international one-day cricket.
Allott rocked South Africa in his opening overs, as he did in Friday’s thriller won by South Africa on the last ball, when he removed Herschelle Gibbs for two and pinch hitter Mark Boucher for a duck. But after that it was one-way traffic.
The entre was provided by Kallis and Kirsten who first consolidated the position and then aggressively added 112 in just under 25 overs in a record third-wicket stand for South Africa against New Zealand.
Kirsten, who had accumulated his 70 runs aggressively, hitting 10 fours, was well set when he went to a fine, sprawling outfield catch by Roger Twose off Chris Harris.
The Kiwis, however, may have wished they had not removed Kirsten.
From the first ball he faced, Cullinan savaged the bowling.
He raced to his 50 from 32 balls, bringing it up with the first of three consecutive sixes off the hapless Daniel Vettori.
Shortly after, he blasted a brace of sixes off Nathan Astle.
At the other end, Kallis was not standing still. Together, the pair put on 145 at nine runs an over until Allott bowled them both within three balls.
Cullinan’s assault overshadowed a very fine century by Kallis, his second of the series.
Normally, his 100, which came off 125 balls and included one six and eight fours, would have won him the man-of-the-match award – especially as he opened the bowling in a hostile spell and took three fine catches.
It was his fifth one-day century for South Africa and his second of the series.
Allott finished with four for 47 but the other New Zealand bowlers struggled.
New Zealand batted with desperation and lost wickets too frequently to ever be in the hunt.
Dangerman Astle skied a Pollock delivery to be out for four. Matthew Horne briefly looked dangerous until he was bowled by Kallis for 27 trying to make room for himself.
Fleming was taken by Kallis at mid-wicket off Steven Elworthy for five and three balls later Kallis took a brilliant diving catch in the gully off Lance Klusener to remove Twose for a duck.
In the next over, Bryan Young lifted the ball into Jonty Rhodes’ hands from Elworthy to leave the New Zealand innings in tatters at 70 for five.
Chris Harris and Adam Parore added 37 until Rhodes took a brilliant one-handed catch to remove Parore off Hansie Cronje and then Harris shortly after gave him his 100th one-day wicket, taken at mid-wicket by Cullinan for 31.
Cronje also had Vettori caught behind by Boucher had to pick up his third wicket.
Fittingly, Kallis finished the match with a stunning catch from Dion Nash off Klusener’s bowling. – AFP
Scoreboard:
South Africa innings
G. Kirsten c Twose b Allott 70
H. Gibbs lbw b Allott 2
M. Boucher c Fleming b Allott 0
J. Kallis b Allott 100
D. Cullinan b Allott 94
L. Klusener not out 13
W. Cronje not out 7
Extras (b1, 1nb, 2w) 4
Total (for 5 wickets) 290
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-12, 3-124, 4-269, 5-270
Bowling: Allott 10-0-47-4 (w1), Nash 7-2-29-0 (w1), Larsen 7-0-48-0 (nb1), Astle 10-0-72-0, Harris 7-0-37-1, Vettori 9-0-56-0
New Zealand innings
M.Horne b Kallis 27
N. Astle c Rhodes b Pollock 4
B. Young c Rhodes b Elworthy 24
S. Fleming c Kallis b Elworthy 5
R. Twose c Kallis b Klusener 0
A. Parore c Rhodes b Cronje 16
C. Harris c Cullinan b Cronje 31
D. Nash c Kallis b Klusener 13
D. Vettori c Boucher b Cronje 5
G. Larsen run out 8
G. Allott not out 0
Extras (lb8, w6) 14
Total 147
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-51, 3-67, 4-68, 5-70, 6-107, 7-123, 8-125, 9-147
Bowling: Pollock 6-1-23-1 (w1), Kallis 7-1-31-1 (w2), Elworthy 6.1-1-21-2 (w1), Klusener 6-0-26-2, Cronje 6-0-26-3 (w2), Boje 5-0-12-0
Result: South Africa won by 143 runs
Series: South Africa lead 3-2 with one match to play.
Man-of-the-match: Daryll Cullinan