South Africa too strong for Kiwis

By Jamie Lillywhite

It was the second fifty de Villiers has made against New Zealand

South Africa's Champions Trophy quest got back on track with a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in Centurion.

After losing their opening match to Sri Lanka they chose to field and bowled out the Kiwis for 214 in the 48th over.

Ross Taylor top-scored with six fours and two sixes in his 72, but fell to left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell, who claimed a one-day career-best 5-57.

AB de Villiers hit nine fours in an unbeaten 70 as South Africa reached their target with 53 balls remaining.

The New Zealand innings featured several partnerships that promised much but ultimately could not put sufficient runs on the board.

Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill shared 46 in nine overs, ended when the latter picked out deep mid-wicket with his hook shot.

McCullum, who overcame a painful collision with Johan Botha when he slid into the crease and injured his neck, hit two sixes, top-edging over fine-leg and flat-batting over long-on.

He also hit some thumping drives down the ground but on 44 he mis-timed a sweep and the ball looped gently to backward square.

Grant Elliott shared 71 with Taylor before he was the first of two wickets for burly left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who extracted considerable turn at a sharp pace.

Parnell claimed the important wicket of Taylor in his maiden five-wicket haul

Taylor's controlled innings ended in the 47th over as the formidable pace duo of Parnell and Dale Steyn took the final five wickets inside three overs, leaving 13 deliveries unused.

After Graeme Smith departed in the sixth over of the South African reply, Jacques Kallis seemed keen to get on with the run chase.

He brought up the 50 with a deftly steered late cut off paceman Shane Bond, his fifth four, which took him to 26 from 16 balls.

He was on 29 when Bond was convinced he had edged behind to McCullum, who left everyone including the match officials in no doubt as to his feelings on Asad Rauf's rejection.

The same combination later did remove Kallis and wickets continued to fall, the fifth going down with 35 still needed from 85 balls, but Albie Morkel promptly punched his opening delivery off the back foot for four.

De Villiers ended the match in style with a typically fluent drive through the covers for four, as the South Africans restored their confidence ahead of their final group match against England on Sunday.

Skipper Smith was delighted with the performance and said: "It was great to see the guys improve a hell of a lot.

"The first 15 overs of the first game let us down but this time we bowled with good intensity and hit our areas hard."

Counterpart Daniel Vettori lamented his team's late collapse and said: "Our batters put us in a good position to launch in the final 10 overs for a score of around 250, but we never got that part of our game right. Credit though to South Africa for a good all-round performance." Link...