18 February 2004	Wednesday	26 Zilhaj 1424

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb 17: Captain Stephen Fleming smashed a brilliant century to guide New Zealand to a five-wicket win against South Africa in the second One-day International on Tuesday.

Fleming's 108, which featured 10 fours and two sixes, helped the hosts to level the six-match series at 1-1. The hosts easily surpassed their victory target of 254 with more than four overs to spare.

South African skipper Graeme Smith had earlier climbed out of his sickbed to score a defiant 80 in the tourists' 253 for eight. Having passed the 6,000 runs mark in One-day Internationals, Fleming was out with the score on 226. New Zealand reached their target without losing another wicket.

Craig McMillan supported Fleming with a quickfire 70, which included eight boundaries and two sixes, his 20th half-century in one-dayers. With New Zealand losing opener Michael Papps and the promoted Brendon McCullum, both for two before the team had scored 20, Fleming dug deep to stabilise the innings.

He consolidated with Hamish Marshall (18), who was dismissed when he ballooned a simple catch to Jacques Rudolph at mid-on, and Scott Styris, who was caught by Herschelle Gibbs low down at point on 24.

When Styris was out with the score on 124, New Zealand were only halfway to the target. However, McMillan and Fleming took the hosts to a strong position before Chris Cairns smashed the winning run with a huge six over bowler Andre Nel's head.

South African opener Smith was suffering from a heavy cold on Monday but made himself available on the morning of the match. After electing to bat on a drop-in pitch that was difficult to read, South Africa's start may have led Smith to wish he had stayed in bed. Fellow opener Gibbs was out lbw to Kyle Mills without a run on the board.

Worse was to follow when the normally-dependable Jacques Kallis failed to find his touch, scoring seven, before he was bowled in the 11th over, shouldering arms to Daryl Tuffey.

At that stage the score was 28 for two and Smith was joined by Boeta Dippenaar, who assumed the main scoring role. Dippenaar had hit 36 in 58 deliveries when he became the second leg before victim of the day trying to sweep spinner Daniel Vettori.

Smith continued to pick up runs with ease while Rudolph took to the bowling, hitting two sixes in his 36-ball stay of 42. Smith was out when he got a thick edge to Cairns and was well caught by Tuffey at third man, bringing an end to his 109-ball innings that included seven fours and a six.

South Africa won the first One-day International by five wickets in Auckland on Friday.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Tuffey b Cairns 80

H.H. Gibbs lbw b Mills 0

J.H. Kallis b Tuffey 7

H.H. Dippenaar lbw b Vettori 36

J.A. Rudolph c Tuffey b Styris 42

M.V. Boucher c and b Cairns 40

L. Klusener c Cairns b Tuffey 8

S.M. Pollock not out 20

N. Boje lbw b Mills 2

M. Ntini not out 9

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-2, NB-4) 9

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 253

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-28, 3-107, 4-161, 5-204, 6-217, 7-223, 8-231.

DID NOT BAT: A. Nel.

BOWLING: Tuffey 10-1-47-2 (2w); Mills 8-0-37-2 (2nb); Oram 10-1-44-0; Cairns 8-0-35-2 (2nb); Vettori 8-0-42-1; Styris 6-0-45-1.

NEW ZEALAND:

M.H.W. Papps c Pollock b Ntini 2

S.P. Fleming c Nel b Ntini 108

B.B. McCullum c Boucher b Ntini 2

H.J.H. Marshall c Rudolph b Klusener 18

S.B. Styris c Gibbs b Kallis 24

C.D. McMillan not out 70

C.L. Cairns not out 10

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-7, W-9, NB-4) 21

TOTAL (for five wkts, 45.1 overs) 255

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-19, 3-66, 4-124, 5-226.

DID NOT BAT: J.D.P. Oram, D.L. Vettori, K.D. Mills, D.R. Tuffey.

BOWLING: Pollock 8-0-41-0 (1nb, 3w); Ntini 10-1-45-3 (3nb, 2w); Klusener 8-0-55-1; Nel 7.1-1-45-0 (4w); Boje 7-0-41-0; Kallis 5-0-20-1.

RESULT: New Zealand won by five wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Stephen Fleming. -Reuters