Shaun Pollock’s Proteas followed up their eight-wicket win in Wednesday’s first final in Melbourne with another convincing victory in Sydney to win the best-of-three finals series 2-0.
Set a revised target of 172 to win from 46 overs after New Zealand collapsed to be all out for 175 in a match disrupted by rain, South Africa coasted to 173 for four off just 38.1 overs.
Man-of-the-match Jonty Rhodes finished unbeaten on 61 off 68 balls while Mark Boucher belted 16 not out from six deliveries after opener Herschelle Gibbs had laid the platform for victory with 46 off 51 deliveries.
South Africa’s target was reduced by four runs under the Lewis-Duckworth scoring system when the Kiwis collapsed to be all out in just 41.1 overs after their innings was hit by a violent electrical thunderstorm.
All-rounder Chris Cairns top scored with 57 off 73 balls while opener Lou Vincent (43), Chris Harris (31) and captain Stephen Fleming (17) were the only others to make double figures.
Jacques Kallis (3-23) and Allan Donald (3-29) claimed three wickets each while Donald and Lance Klusener both took wickets in successive balls to set the Proteas a relatively easy target.
The umpires ordered a re-start an hour and a half after the stoppage once the protective covers were removed, reducing the match to 46 overs-per-team and shortening the tea break by 15 minutes.
South Africa, who finished the preliminary rounds in first place despite losing three of their four marches against world champions Australia, were on top from the outset of Friday’s match despite losing the toss.
Vincent made an enterprising 43 off just 42 balls, including successive sixes off Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, while Fleming scored his 17 at a run a ball before the rain set in with the Kiwis struggling at 75 for five.
New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond was named player of the series after capturing 21 wickets.
NEW ZEALAND:
L. Vincent c Ntini b Kallis 43
N.J. Astle c Klusener b Pollock 7
A.R. Adams c Boucher b Ntini 1
S.P. Fleming c D’penaar b Donald 17
C.D. McMillan c Ntini b Kallis 0
C.L. Cairns c Boje b Kallis 57
C.Z. Harris lbw b Klusener 31
A.C. Parore c Gibbs b Klusener 0
D.L. Vettori lbw b Donald 3
J.E.C. Franklin lbw b Donald 0
S.E. Bond not out 5
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-1, W-8) 11
TOTAL (all out, 41.1 overs) 175
FALL OF WKTS: 1-15, 2-17, 3-68, 4-68, 5-72, 6-147, 7-147, 8-157, 9-157.
BOWLING: Pollock 6-2-24-1; Ntini 7-2-45-1 (1w); Donald 8-0-29-3 (3w); Kallis 5.1-0-23-3; Boje 8-0-21-0 (3w); Klusener 7-0-30-2 (1w).
SOUTH AFRICA:
H.H. Gibbs b Adams 46
G. Kirsten c Parore b Bond 2
J.H. Kallis c Parore b Adams 10
H.H. Dippenaar c Parore b Cairns 29
J.N. Rhodes not out 61
M.V. Boucher not out 16
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6, NB-2) 9
TOTAL (for four wkts, 38.1 overs) 173
FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-65, 3-68, 4-141.
DID NOT BAT: L. Klusener, S.M. Pollock, N. Boje, A.A. Donald, M. Ntini.
BOWLING: Bond 8-2-31-1 (3w); Franklin 4-0-29-0 (1nb, 3w); Vettori 4.1-0-25-0; Adams 8-0-33-2; Cairns 7-1-32-1; Astle 2-0-5-0; Harris 5-0-17-0 (1nb).
RESULT: South Africa won by six wickets (target reduced to 172 under Duckworth-Lewis scoring system).
UMPIRES: S.J. Davis and S.J.A. Taufel.
TV UMPIRE: D.J. Harper.
MATCH REFEREE: Hanumant Singh (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Jonty Rhodes.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Shane Bond.—Retuers