South Africa took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Standard Bank series against New Zealand with another thrilling victory at St George’s Park on Sunday. South Africa won the match by four wickets with four balls in hand.
”It was a very good game,” said South African captain Graeme Smith. ”I thought we fielded and bowled superbly, although we let it slip a bit in the last few overs. We should have kept them down to about 220.
”We’re still about 30% off our best,” he added.
”We want to keep getting better, and we want to keep on winning. We want more free flowing scoring — all our batsmen are in good form, we just need to string together some bigger partnerships.”
He said he thought the victory, without Jacques Kallis, showed that South Africa could win without its star player. ”Herschelle batted superbly, and Justin [Kemp] and Shaun [Pollock] were brilliant. We’re growing in confidence, and we are all loving our cricket, and loving playing for South Africa.”
Smith won the toss and decided to bat first. His decision appeared to have been vindicated when Makhaya Ntini grabbed two wickets in his third and fourth overs, and New Zealand struggled to score, with the first 50 coming up in the 17th over.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was like a rock, and once Scott Styris, who looks likely to become South Africa’s nemesis, joined him in the middle, they set about trying to increase the run rate.
Their partnership of 59 runs came off 81 balls, and saw Fleming reach his 41st half century. But shortly after reaching that landmark, Fleming was run out when Justin Kemp got a boot to the ball and sent it into the stumps, leaving Fleming stranded on 54.
Styris was the hero of the New Zealand innings, scoring 78, including seven boundaries. He was finally bowled by Charl Langeveldt, who was otherwise very expensive, conceding 76 runs off his 10 overs.
New Zealand put on 84 runs in the last 10 overs, to take the score to a respectable 243 for nine. Testimony to South Africa’s outstanding fielding was that three wickets were the result of run outs.
Chasing 244 for victory, South Africa got off to a good start, with the first 50 coming up in the 12th over. Smith (18) and AB De Villiers (29) were both caught behind by Brendon McCullum — Smith off Andre Adams, and De Villiers off Kyle Mills.
Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Rudolph came together with the score on 48, and put on 53 runs together before Rudolph, who had become bogged down, was run out by a direct hit from Hamish Marshall, for 17.
Gibbs and Ashwell Prince took the attack to the New Zealanders, and their partnership of 49 came off 52 balls. Mark Boucher joined Gibbs, and they continued to attack the bowling with some smart running between the wickets.
Gibbs reached his 23rd half century with a four off Daniel Vettori, and celebrated by hitting the left arm spinner for a six and another four off the next two balls. He went on to make 81 before he was caught by Marshall off Shane Bond.
Boucher made 24 before he was run out by Lou Vincent.
Justin Kemp came in to a roar of approval from the near capacity crowd, but once again was hamstrung by Fleming’s astute field placings, but with the required run rate over 10 an over, Kemp eased the pressure with a massive six.
He and Shaun Pollock kept the runs coming, and with South Africa needing nine off the last over, Kemp smacked the first ball for six, and the second for four to give South Africa their twelfth successive ODI victory.
Kemp’s 30 not out came off just 19 balls, and Pollock hit 21 runs off 14 deliveries.
Styris was the pick of the Black Cap’s bowlers, conceding only 30 runs off his 10 overs, while Shane Bond went for 73 off 9,2 overs.
Fleming said he was very disappointed to have lost the series, but the team was determined to get something out of the series.
”We are aiming to win the last two matches — we’ve lost the series, but 3-2 would be preferable to 5-0. We certainly aren’t just going to roll over,” he said.
”It’s very tough to beat South Africa. We keep giving them opportunities, and they are taking them.”
Man of the Match Gibbs praised the St George’s pitch.
”It’s one of the better ones we’ve played on here, and the crowd and the atmosphere were superb,” he said.
The next match is at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday, and the final match will be played at Supersport Park in Centurion on Sunday. – Sapa