BRISBANE, Jan 19: Chris Cairns smashed 102 not out from 99 balls to lead New Zealand to a four-wicket win over South Africa with five balls to spare in their one-day triangular series match Saturday.
The Kiwis staged a late charge for victory after they were 167 for six from 40 overs, needing another 75 to win following South Africa’s 241 all out in 48.3 overs.
New Zealand had been 98 for five in the 24th over before Cairns added 62 for the sixth wicket with Chris Harris (24) and an unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership of 84 with wicket-keeper Adam Parore (21 not out).
Cairns and Parore began the dramatic last two overs with New Zealand needing 13 runs for victory at 229 for six, with Cairns on 90 and Parore on 20.
Cairns moved to 97 with a six over long-off from the fifth ball of the 49th over and took a single off the last ball, to take New Zealand to 240 for six.
He then settled the match, and scored his century, when he smashed the first ball of the 50th over to the boundary through cover off the bowling of South Africa captain Shaun Pollock (2-29).
It was the 31-year-old New Zealander’s fourth limited overs international century in his 141st match.
Cairns reached his 50 from 64 balls (four fours, one six) with a single off Jacques Kallis in the 41st over but after his brutal straight hitting late in the innings he ended with nine fours and three sixes.
“It probably hasn’t sunk in yet,” Cairns said.
“It’s right up there for me because this is a quality cricket side and I’ve always wanted to score a century in Australia.
“We just wanted to get the win tonight.”
Kallis, who missed Tuesday’s win over New Zealand with an ankle injury, scored a stylish 65 and took two wickets.
South Africa, who looked like ending with a big score, lost their last five wickets for 10 runs to be all out for 241 in the 49th over.
“In one-day cricket it’s criminal to get bowled out and we really should have been looking at 260,” Pollock said.
“Chris played really well and you’ve got to work out where to bowl to him and try to do it.”
New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond bounced back from some early punishment at the hands of Kallis to take four wickets for 37 runs from 9.3 overs.
Wicket-keeper Mark Boucher (51) and Jonty Rhodes (44) held the innings together in the middle overs after opener Gary Kirsten made 43 in a 115-run partnership with Kallis.
Cairns took two for 44 for the Kiwis while left-armer James Franklin (2-41) took the important wickets of opener Herschelle Gibbs (0) from the first ball of the match and Pollock (15).
South Africa play the win-less Australia Sunday here while competition leaders New Zealand will play Australia in Adelaide next Saturday.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA:
H.H. Gibbs b Franklin 0
G. Kirsten c and b Harris 43
J.H. Kallis c Vincent b Bond 65
J.N. Rhodes c Harris b Cairns 44
H.H. Dippenaar run out 7
M.V. Boucher c Franklin b Bond 51
S.M. Pollock c Parore b Franklin 15
J.M. Kemp c Parore b Cairns 1
J.L. Ontong c McMillan b Bond 4
S. Elworthy c Cairns b Bond 0
M. Ntini not out 2
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-2, NB-1) 9
TOTAL (all out, 48.3 overs) 241
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-115, 3-115, 4-130,
5-204, 6-231, 7-234, 8-236, 9-237.
BOWLING: Franklin 8-0-41-2 (1nb, 2w); Bond 9.3-0-37-4; Cairns 10-0-44-2; Vettori
10-0-58-0; Harris 10-0-45-1; McMillan
1-0-10-0.
NEW ZEALAND:
M.H. Richardson c Ontong b Pollock 0
B.B. McCullum c Kallis b Ntini 37
L. Vincent c Boucher b Pollock 9
S.P. Fleming c Ontong b Kallis 23
C.D. McMillan c Pollock b Kallis 6
C.L. Cairns not out 102
C.Z. Harris lbw b Elworthy 24
A.C. Parore not out 21
EXTRAS (LB-8, W-8, NB-6) 22
TOTAL (for six wkts, 49.1 overs) 244
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-31, 3-71, 4-73, 5-98, 6-160.
DID NOT BAT: D.L. Vettori, J.E.C. Franklin, S.E. Bond.
BOWLING: Pollock 9.1-2-29-2; Elworthy
10-0-47-1 (4w); Ntini 8-0-46-1 (6nb); Kallis 10-0-57-2 (2w); Kemp 7-0-31-0 (1w); Ontong 5-0-26-0 (1w).
RESULT: New Zealand won by four wickets.
UMPIRES: D.B. Hair and S.J. Davis.
TV UMPIRE: P.D. Parker.
MATCH REFEREE: Hanumant Singh (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Chris Cairns.
NEXT MATCH: Australia v South Africa, Brisbane (D/N), Sunday.—Reuters