New Zealand's Under-19s lost by seven wickets to South Africa in the second of the three-match one-day series at Owen Delany Park, Taupo today. They imitated the performance of the Black Caps against Pakistan at Eden Park by failing to post an adequate total batting first.

South Africa won the toss and put New Zealand in. With so much rain over the past 48 hours, both outfield and pitch were slower than was the case in the first match of the series. Even so, a total of 185 was not enough.

Most of the New Zealand batsmen found difficulty in timing the ball well. Shanan Stewart was top scorer with 38, without demonstrating the freedom that he showed on Friday.

For the second successive game, the New Zealand middle order failed to do its job. At 125 for six it was again left to the lower order to carry out a salvage operation. Andrew Ellis and Luke Woodcock measured up, with a partnership of 33 for the eighth wicket.

The South African bowling attack performed well. Gerhard de Bruin, a brisk medium fast bowler, conceded only five runs from the opening five overs at the Northern End. He came back strongly at the end of the innings, to finish with two for 24.

The surprise package was Michael Price. On the tour as a batsman, he has impressed coach Hylton Ackerman with his bowling in the nets. Price had the confidence to toss the ball up and varied his flight intelligently, finishing with 10-1-29-2.

Warren Hauptfleisch (6-1-14-2) was a model of military-medium accuracy until he dislocated his shoulder in the field. Watching the joint being put back in place accompanied by agonised noises from the fielder was R18 stuff.

Ackerman identified an improvement in his team's fielding as a key factor in restricting the New Zealand total.

"We fielded magnificently and caught all our catches for a change. We didn't let anybody off to go on to make a big score."

South African opener James Schorn batted aggressively on Friday and carried on in a similar vein today. His 44 came from 32 balls and included six fours and two sixes, both of which came off surprise opening bowler, slow left-armer Woodcock.

The opening partnership of 62 between Schorn and captain Rivash Gobind gave the later batsmen time to relax. The third wicket partnership of 61 between Chad Baxter and Hashim Amla settled things. Baxter attacked well, with 41 in 67 balls including three fours and a six.

But it was the batting of 17-year-old Amla that really took the eye. He seems to have the right shot for every delivery and all the time in the world to play. His fielding is somewhat short of the rigorous standards demanded by the modern game, but if he has the temperament to go to the top, he surely has the class.

Ackerman agrees.

"Amla looks a top player of the future. He will be back in New Zealand for the Under-19 World Cup early next year. I wouldn't be surprised if he plays for South Africa one day. He is a class act."

New Zealand's bowlers failed to put South Africa under pressure. Rob Nicol justified his status as third bowler with figures of 10-0-33-1. Ellis, with 7.5-0-33-2 also performed well, but the bowlers who rely exclusively on their bowling skills for their place in the team gave too much away.

South Africa lost the Test series two-nil, but have improved as the tour has progressed. Ackerman does not agree that it has simply been a matter of acclimatisation.

"It has nothing to do with getting used to New Zealand conditions. Some of these young fellows had never played a game of four-day cricket in their lives before coming here. They play a lot of one-day cricket and are much more confident in this form of the game."

With the first game of the series having been abandoned because of rain, South Africa take a one-nil lead into the final match, on the Eden Park Outer Oval in Auckland on Tuesday.

© CricInfo