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AUCKLAND, Feb 29: New Zealand clinched their first series victory over South Africa in any form of cricket when they won a thrilling fifth One-day International by two runs on Sunday.
The Kiwis took an unbeatable 4-1 lead in the six-match series after the tourists, chasing a revised target of 178 to win in 29 overs, finished on 175 for five.
"It feels great. It's a wonderful day to create history and we've done it pretty well," New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said. "They've had the wood on us for some time."
Rain at the start of the day reduced the match to 33 overs per side and bad weather intervened again during South Africa's run chase. Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher needed an unlikely 28 from Kyle Mills's final over to win it for South Africa and they came agonisingly close.
Mills bowled a no-ball that was hit by Boucher over third man for six, which left a target of 20 from four deliveries. Boucher then struck another six over mid-on before taking a single off the next ball. That left Kallis needing to score 13 to win from the last two balls. He cracked another six over extra cover to bring up his half-century but only managed a four off the final delivery.
Kallis (58 not out) shared an unbroken stand of 89 for the sixth wicket with Boucher (48 not out). Earlier, New Zealand chalked up 193 for eight in 33 overs after being put in to bat by South Africa skipper Graeme Smith.
All-rounder Chris Harris, 34, back in the team for the first time since the 5-0 one-day defeat in Pakistan in December, marked his return by top-scoring with 55.
Harris, playing his 239th one-dayer for New Zealand, did his best to ensure he kept his place in the side for the final match in Napier on Tuesday by recording his 16th half-century.
He reached his fifty in spectacular fashion with a six over mid-wicket off fast bowler Makhaya Ntini. Skipper Fleming failed for the first time in the series, caught for a duck at second slip by Kallis off Ntini's first ball of the day.
Fleming remained at the crease and was clearly upset when New Zealand umpire Doug Cowie sent him on his way. Television replays showed the ball missed his bat and hit him on the thigh pad. Ntini was the pick of the South African attack, taking three for 47 from his seven overs.
Scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND:
H.J.H. Marshall b Ntini 18
S.P. Fleming c Kallis b Ntini 0
C.L. Cairns c Smith b Morkel 28
S.B. Styris c Smith b Klusener 16
C.D. McMillan b Klusener 7
J.D.P. Oram run out 22
C.Z. Harris c and b Pollock 55
B.B. McCullum b Ntini 11
D.L. Vettori not out 19
K.D. Mills not out 5
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-2, NB-4) 12
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 33 overs) 193
FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-34, 3-61, 4-73, 5-73, 6-127, 7-154, 8-182.
DID NOT BAT: D.R. Tuffey.
BOWLING: Pollock 7-0-36-1 (2nb); Ntini 7-1-47-3 (1nb, 1w); Klusener 6-0-30-2 (1nb); Morkel 7-0-41-1 (1w); Boje 5-0-25-0; Kallis 1-0-8-0.
SOUTH AFRICA:
G.C. Smith b Oram 15
H.H. Gibbs c Harris b Tuffey 13
L. Klusener c Mills b Oram 14
A. Morkel b Cairns 11
J.H. Kallis not out 58
H.H. Dippenaar b Cairns 8
M.V. Boucher not out 48
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5, NB-1) 8
TOTAL (for five wkts, 29 overs) 175
FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-40, 3-48, 4-64, 5-86.
DID NOT BAT: J.A. Rudolph, S.M. Pollock, N. Boje, M. Ntini.
BOWLING: Tuffey 6-0-37-1 (1w); Mills 6-1-63-0 (1nb, 2w); Oram 6-2-20-2; Cairns 6-0-22-2 (1w); Harris 4-0-20-0; Styris 1-0-11-0 (1w).
RESULT: New Zealand won by two runs under D/L/ Method.
UMPIRES: D.B. Cowie (New Zealand) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV UMPIRE: G.A. Baxter (New Zealand).
MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Chris Harris.
FINAL MATCH: Napier on Tuesday. -Reuters
