New Zealand Vs. Sth Africa-5th ODI

[pies4ever]

South Africa won the toss and sent New Zealand into bat..


cheers bryan..!!

[pies4ever]

Ntini got fleming for a duck,New Zealand are 1/30 in the 7th over,the game is reduced to 33overs,because of the late rain.


cheers bryan..!!

[Donny]

After 15 overs, N.Z. are 4/73.

Ntini has 2 wickets as does Klusener.
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Morkel just got Cairns for 28 and it's 5/81.

[Donny]

New Zealand clinch the series

The Wisden Bulletin by Rahul Bhatia

South Africa nearly stole a rain-shortened game from under New Zealand's nose after Kyle Mills suffered yet another nightmarish last over, but the revised target of 178 proved just a little too much. In the end, New Zealand made do with a two-run victory and their first series win over South Africa.

With 27 required in four balls, the game was in New Zealand's bag, unless Mills bowled a no ball or a wide. He obliged. And Mark Boucher hit a six, to boot. Then came another six, followed by a single. That brought Jacques Kallis on strike, and he hit the last of the day's 10 sixes. Victory wasn't possible, but a tie was if he could manage one more six. Only four came off the last ball, and South Africa lost their fourth consecutive game.

Boucher's team was in a bit of bother when he took guard, with the big hitters back in the pavillion. Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Lance Klusener, Albie Morkel and Boeta Dippenaar had all been dismissed, and to add to South Africa's misery, the rain had made an unwanted appearance, making the challenging target of 194 even harder.

The revised target was 178, and the team had four fewer overs to get there. But Boucher fought the bowlers, the weather, and his team's inability to score effectively, and Kallis tagged along. The scoring rate picked up, and Kallis began to look for quick runs – the kind that didn't come by often in the middle overs after Klusener's dismissal. Together, both batsmen gave the bowlers the charge and picked up enough runs to give New Zealand a scare in the final over.

But had South Africa got off to a better start, or even sustained their aggression for a little longer, they could have been on their way to squaring the series. After playing out the first two overs watchfully, Gibbs flayed Daryl Tuffey for two boundaries and then edged one more to third man. Before he could do any more damage, he struck out at Tuffey once more and Chris Harris pulled off an adjective-defying catch at point.

With a brief to reduce the target as quickly as possible, Klusener set about his task with gusto. Two fours were followed by a massive six over midwicket, and Klusener was back to doing his thing. But when Stephen Fleming brought Jacob Oram into the attack, Klusener could not resist a mad hoick, and Mills caught him at the midwicket boundary (40 for 2).

Morkel joined Smith but could barely touch the ball. Watching this, Smith (15) grew antsier by the ball until he could contain himself no longer. He hit out at Oram, missed, and was on his way back (48 for 3). Oram had bowled cleverly and denied the batsmen width, and ended with only four runs taken off his first four overs.

Runs dried up, and Morkel was the next to go when Chris Cairns bowled a slow delivery that rattled the stumps. Boeta Dippenaar fell soon after (86 for 5) to an identical delivery, and it was left to Kallis and Boucher to do the rest.

Harris had come in at a score worse than that (73 for 5), and unveiled a new technique, a new attitude, and a range of strokes that took the initiative away from South Africa. Within two balls of taking guard, Harris was offered a wide long-hop by Morkel, and you know where those go. From there on, Harris played through the covers nonchalantly when the faster bowlers were on, and when Nicky Boje bowled, swung him over midwicket for six. It finally came to an end when Shaun Pollock took a sharp return catch, and Harris returned with 55 to his name.

But earlier, it was Makhaya Ntini who did most of the damage. New Zealand got off to an unfortunate start when Stephen Fleming was caught behind off his first ball. The ball had missed the bat and deflected off Fleming's back pad to slip where it was taken brilliantly by Kallis. Cairns walked in, and Hamish Marshall rode his luck to score 18 before Ntini struck again. Scott Styris and Craig McMillan began with a bang and hit Klusener for twelve in an over, but premeditated shots put paid to their chances, and Klusener had two wickets to his name.

However, Cairns kept going and kept the scoreboard ticking over. While he was there, the innings was in safe hands. But Morkel induced a lazy push that found Smith at mid-off (73 for 5). Oram and McCullum came and went, but Harris soldiered on in his comeback game and played a match – and series – winning innings.