WELLINGTON, Feb 21: The South African team, trailing New Zealand 1-2 in the one-day series here, were given further bad news on Saturday with the likelihood that key all-rounder Shaun Pollock will not be available for the next match.

Pollock, whose batting blitz took South Africa to within six runs of victory in a desperate final over of the third match here on Friday, is suffering a painful groin strain.

Captain Graeme Smith said he was pessimistic about his star performer's availability for the next match in Dunedin on Tuesday, which increases New Zealand's chances of taking an unbeatable 3-1 lead in athe six match series.

"I don't know how severe it is but Tuesday's probably a no already for him," Smith said.

With South Africa needing 26 to win off the final five balls in Friday's third match, Pollock lashed out with a combination of six-two-six-six but his bid for a match-winning fourth slog over the boundary fence was stymied by a last ball yorker from Kyle Mills.

Pollock remained unbeaten with 29 off 17 balls, after conceding just eight runs off 5.5 overs with his accurate seamers before leaving the field with a groin strain during New Zealand's innings.

The tourists also picked up further injury concerns to debutant all-rounder Albie Morkel, who wrenched a hip diving on the shifty outfield, to go with Lance Klusener's back injury which saw him sidelined Friday and Jacques Rudolph's severe bout of flu.

Smith admitted it was a key point of their tour, having been on the road for much of the past 16 months.

"We realise there's a month and a half still to go here, the guys are tired and carrying niggles, there is some flu around the team.

"Maybe it has been a long season but we've got to dig a little deeper and it's no excuse."-AFP