Close New Zealand 244 for 6 (Cairns 102*) beat South Africa (241 all out (Kallis 65, Boucher 51, Bond 4-37)) by 4 wickets
scorecard

The best innings of the new year, from Chris Cairns, wrested victory for New Zealand on a tropical night in Brisbane and bucked a trend of 13 successive losses against South Africa. Chasing 241, New Zealand were 98 for 5 after 23.3 overs, but Cairns turned a potential rout into a triumph and exorcised memories of their two-run defeat against South Africa in a thriller at this venue four years ago with a majestic 102 not out off 99 balls. After needing eight an over for most of the last hour, New Zealand ended up winning with five balls to spare as Cairns reached his hundred with a spanking four over extra cover. For courage or for strokeplay, you will rarely see better.

Cairns received support at two crucial stages: Chris Harris contributed a hit-and-run 24 in a sixth-wicket stand of 62, and Adam Parore, Cairns's partner in that 1997-98 match as well, made a cool-headed 21 in an unbeaten stand of 84 for the seventh wicket.

Cairns ensured that Shaun Pollock's 2 for 24 went almost unnoticed. It was Pollock who had put the skids on New Zealand with an opening spell of 6-1-7-2. His other bowlers, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Steve Elworthy, chipped in with wickets in the middle overs, but couldn't hold their nerve at the death. There were wides, no-balls and loose balls, just when South Africa didn't need them. And they certainly didn't need Cairns tippling bouncers over fine leg, smashing yorkers over the straight boundary, making a mockery of a 75-run ask in the last 10 overs. Previously, only Australia were known to psych South Africa out like this.

Not only are New Zealand now top of the table, they have also made it harder for Australia to qualify. After New Zealand had lost to South Africa in their first meeting, the Aussies needed them to carry on doing so.

But it had seemed New Zealand's day all along. They grabbed a wicket off the first ball when Herschelle Gibbs dragged one from James Franklin onto his stumps. It didn't affect Kallis and Gary Kirsten. Kallis's four oh-so-classical offside boundaries in a single Shane Bond over had stirred things, Kirsten manoeuvred this way and that, and before anyone realised it the century partnership had come up at almost six an over.

But with the score on 115, the wheels came off – not for the last time in the innings. Harris, who had dealt with a personal problem at home so rapidly that he was able to fly back in time for the game, lulled Kirsten (43) into a caught-and-bowled. Then, Kallis's attempt to take on Bond again, with a swivelling pull this time, resulted in a top edge, and a catch at cover.

Jonty Rhodes and Mark Boucher put on 73 breathless runs with little sweeps and nudges and high-energy running. At 205 for 4, with more than 10 overs remaining, South Africa were on course to overhaul the highest total of the tournament so far (257, in their other encounter with New Zealand). But Cairns - who else - halted the momentum by luring Rhodes into an uppish square drive straight to Harris. And then five wickets for 10 runs in four overs sealed the deal for New Zealand. Cairns and Bond were rewarded for tight, clever bowling, and Stephen Fleming for having his fieldsmen in the right areas.

Three guesses for the man of the match.

Teams
South Africa 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Gary Kirsten, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Jonty Rhodes, 5 Boeta Dippenaar, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Shaun Pollock (capt), 8 Justin Ontong, 9 Justin Kemp, 10 Steve Elworthy, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

New Zealand 1 Mark Richardson, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Lou Vincent, 4 Stephen Fleming (capt), 5 Craig McMillan, 6 Chris Cairns, 7 Chris Harris, 8 Adam Parore (wk), 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 James Franklin, 11 Shane Bond.

Rahul Bhattacharya is staff writer of Wisden.com India

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