Close South Africa 191 for 2 (Kallis 59*,Dippenaar 79*) beat New Zealand 190 (Fleming 50, McMillan 73, Ntini 5-31) by 8 wickets with 29 balls to spare
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A razor-sharp spell by Makhaya Ntini cut New Zealand to ribbons and set South Africa on course for a thumpingly one-sided victory in front of a sparse crowd at the MCG. Angling the ball into the right-hander and moving it menacingly away, Ntini took a career-best 5 for 31 as New Zealand collapsed to 190 after Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan had added 109 for the third wicket. Boeta Dippenaar, mistakenly given not out on 6, then hit a stylish 79* as South Africa romped home. New Zealand, who have now lost 13 of their last 14 completed ODIs against South Africa, need to win two in a row to lift the VB trophy.

Ntini, along with Shane Bond, has been the most improved bowler in this competition, and he quickly made Fleming regret his decision to bat first on a true but slow wicket. Lou Vincent, on 7, ballooned a brute to gully (15 for 1), before Nathan Astle edged to slip and was out for 9 (18 for 2).

But New Zealand – as they tend to these days – fought back. Fleming languidly pushed singles, and even changed the habit of a lifetime to play a couple of pull shots; McMillan, facing the bowler rather than square leg, knuckled down too and took successive boundaries, over mid-off and past fine leg, off Shaun Pollock.

While they stayed together, New Zealand were on course for 250. But Lance Klusener, finally firing after serving up cannon-fodder for much of the competition, put paid to that. He dismissed Fleming for 50, mistiming a leg-side flick to mid-on (127 for 3), and Cairns, fourth ball for 0, brilliantly caught by Gary Kirsten at wide long-on (128 for 4).

The innings never quite recovered. Chris Harris was caught behind off Pollock for 9 (155 for 5), and McMillan foolishly took on Herschelle Gibbs, only to finish second to a direct hit from mid-on. McMillan, cultivating a handlebar moustache, was on his bike, out for 73 (158 for 6).

Back came Ntini, who continued to make Allan Donald look like a county trundler. Dion Nash skyed a hook to fine leg to fall for 9 (168 for 7), and next ball Adam Parore was caught behind for 2 to leave the innings in ruins at 168 for 8. Andre Adams (13), chest out after smacking Donald over extra-cover for six, then gave Ntini his fifth wicket with a slog to deep midwicket. Jonty Rhodes completed the rout by running out Shane Bond (1). The last eight wickets had fallen for 63, and New Zealand needed a miracle.

The closest they got was when both South African openers fell in consecutive overs to leave the innings unsteady at 52 for 2. Gary Kirsten, who had been in prime form, cover-driving and pulling with the minimum of effort, was unluckily run out for 25 by McMillan's deflection onto the stumps (51 for 1). And Gibbs nicked Cairns to Parore one run later to fall for 24 and give New Zealand a sniff.

It would have smelt stronger had umpire Harper spotted Dippenaar's nick on another seaming Cairns delivery when Dippenaar had just 6, but after that decision, black caps drooped.

As Jacques Kallis pushed correct-looking singles down the ground, Dippenaar hit the bowlers all round it. He pulled and cut consecutive Daniel Vettori deliveries for four, then cut Cairns for four more. Nathan Astle, the eighth bowler to be used in the first 25 overs, disappeared through midwicket and past point, and Dippenaar strolled to his fifty with a rasping cut for four off Shane Bond, the over after cutting him through point's hands for three.

Dippenaar was irresistible now, and by the time he straight-drove McMillan for four, he had made 69 out of the 100 partnership. The last rites were played out in front of a less-than-enthralled crowd and South Africa had a 1-0 lead. This was as damp as squibs can get without it actually raining.

Teams
New Zealand 1 Nathan Astle, 2 Lou Vincent, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4 Craig McMillan, 5 Chris Cairns, 6 Chris Harris, 7 Dion Nash, 8 Adam Parore (wk), 9 Andre Adams, 10 Daniel Vettori, 11 Shane Bond.

South Africa 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Gary Kirsten, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Boeta Dippenaar, 5 Jonty Rhodes, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Lance Klusener, 8 Shaun Pollock (capt), 9 Nicky Boje, 10 Allan Donald, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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