ST GEORGE’S (Grenada), April 14: South Africa were struggling 89-3 after 30 overs of their World Cup Super Eights match against New Zealand at the Grenada National Stadium Saturday after being put into bat under heavy skies.

Herschelle Gibbs was on 46 with Ashwell Prince on 13.

South Africa were 3-2 after three overs when Shane Bond had captain Graeme Smith caught by Jacob Oram for one while James Franklin had A.B. de Villiers lbw for nought.

It was de Villiers’s fourth duck in the World Cup.

Jacques Kallis patiently tried to rebuild the innings with Gibbs with whom he put on 49 for the third wicket.

But with just two balls left in the final powerplay, he lost patience and skied a catch to Bond at cover off Daniel Vettori in the 20th over having made a painstaking 22 off 54 balls.

Both countries made one change from the teams that played in previous matches at the stadium.

Left-arm spinner Robin Peterson came into the South African side for batsman Loots Bosman.

South Africa beat West Indies by 67 runs on Tuesday.

New Zealand added off-spinner Jeetan Patel in place of pace bowler Mark Gillespie from the side beaten by six wickets by Sri Lanka Thursday.

New Zealand have eight points with South Africa on six points and a win on Saturday will put the Kiwis into the semi-finals.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:

G.C. Smith c Oram b Bond 1

A.B. de Villiers lbw b Franklin 0

J.H. Kallis c Bond b Vettori 22

H.H. Gibbs not out 46

A.G. Prince not out 15

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3, NB-1) 5

TOTAL (for three wkts, 30 overs) 89

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3 (Smith, 1.5 ov), 2-3 (de Villiers, 2.6 ov), 3-52 (Kallis, 19.5 ov).

TO BAT: M.V. Boucher, S.M. Pollock, A.J. Hall, R.J. Peterson, A. Nel, M. Ntini.

BOWLING (to-date): Franklin 7-2-16-1 (1w); Bond 6-1-10-1 (1nb, 1w); Oram 5-2-23-0; Patel 6-1-12-0; Vettori 5-0-23-1 (1w); Styris 1-0-4-0.

NEW ZEALAND: P.G. Fulton, S.P. Fleming, R.L. Taylor, S.B. Styris, C.D. McMillan, J.D.P. Oram, B.B. McCullum, D.L. Vettori, J.E.C. Franklin, S.E. Bond, J.S. Patel.

UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: B.R. Doctrove (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).—Agencies