New Zealand take 3-1 series lead
Thursday, February 26 2004
New Zealand has taken a 3-1 series lead over South Africa thanks to some more consistent bowling and excellent top order batting.
New Zealand made one change with the injured Daryl Tuffey being replaced by Michael Mason who finally got his chance while South Africa made no changes.
Stephen Fleming won the toss for the first time in the series and predictably chose to bowl first in overcast conditions.
Kyle Mills and Michael Mason opened the bowling in the best manor possible in keeping the bowl up and straight. It wasn’t long before they got the first break through wit Mason trapping Gibbs lbw for 16.
Kallis was the next to go for 13, followed by Smith for 37 and Dippenaar for 18 and with the score at 4-100 from 27 overs South Africa were really struggling against some tight determined bowling.
Nicky Boje was promoted up the order and joined Jacques Rudolph at the crease. Together they boosted the run rate before Boje departed for a well made 50 off 47 balls.
South Africa went into the final 10 overs at 184/5 and were set for a score of about 280 with the depth in their lower order batting. New Zealand came back firing however and the seam attack of Mason, Mills, Oram and Cairns managed to restrict the South African batsman and they finished at a disappointing 259/7.
Jacob Oram came back into some bowling form takes 3/51 from 10 while Chris Cairns who is improving game by game had figures of 1/42 from 10. Michael Mason in his first ODI in New Zealand returned figures of 1/46 off 10 and looks the perfect cover for Mills, Tuffey and the injured Shane Bond.
New Zealand again started the innings brightly with Michael Papps and Stephen Fleming seeing off the early spell of Shaun Pollock while taking to the bowling of Nel and Nitni.
Papps was the first to go for 29 but in his partnership with Fleming they had put on 71 for the 1st wicket and seen New Zealand off to another healthy start.
Fleming was then out for 51 in a dismissal that was an action replay to how he was out in Wellington in chipping the ball straight to square leg.
Hamish Marshall and Scott Styris then put together the partnership of the match which contained 126 runs overall.
Styris and Marshall fell within 2 runs of each other and New Zealand still required another 30 runs off 6 overs for victory which gave South Africa a very slight hope of victory. This was totally taken away from them though by Chris Cairns with some pounding shots. His 3rd six to win the game went sailing out of the ground.
Shaun Pollock was yet again the pick of the bowlers taking 0/33 but has still yet to claim a wicket in the series which must be bothering him. Ntini took 2 wickets but was very expensive conceding 62 runs off his 10 overs. Nel and Boje took a wicket a piece.
The teams now move to Auckland for the 5th ODI where South Africa will be looking to restore some pride.
Score Summary
South Africa 259/7 (J Rudolph 70*, N Boje 50, G Smith 37, M Boucher 35, J Oram 3/51, S Styris 1/33)
New Zealand 264/4 (H Marshall 74, S Styris 69, S Fleming 51, C Cairns 29*, S Pollock 0/33, M Ntini 2/63)
New Zealand won by 6 wickets
New Zealand lead the series 3-1 with 2 matches remaining
Posted by James
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