Fleming leads way in epic NZ win
From Stuff, 17 February 2003
JOHANNESBURG: New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming
and the Johannesburg rains doused South Africa's World
Cup party in the most brutal way today.
Fleming's magical 134 not out off 132
balls, including 21 fours, saw his side cruise to their
adjusted target of 226 with 13 balls to spare and win
the much-hyped group B clash by nine wickets.
The ease of the win was remarkable
after South Africa's batsmen had sent the packed house
of 34,000 at The Wanderers into raptures when they racked
up 306 for seven, the second highest one-day score at
the great ground. Opener Herschelle Gibbs led the way
with 143 off 141 balls.
New Zealand though never showed any
nerves as Fleming and his surprise opening partner Craig
McMillan put on 89 off 14 overs then Nathan Astle's
clinical 54 not out saw the Black Caps home in a canter.
It saw New Zealand in the box seat
to qualify for the Super Six phase, even without the
points they will likely lose from boycotting their Kenya
match, while it put South Africa's future in grave doubt
after their second loss.
It was also New Zealand's first win
over South Africa in their own country from 10 attempts.
Two big factors, the rain and the iron
gloves of the usually reliable South African wicketkeeper
Mark Boucher helped New Zealand home.
Two rain breaks, one for an hour with
New Zealand 182 for one in the 31st over, saw the target
reduced to 226 off 39 overs. It left them an elementary
44 off 51 balls which they never raised a sweat achieving.
Boucher earlier spilled the most vital
of chances off Fleming on 53 with the total 88 without
loss, when he got both gloves to a big edge off Jacques
Kallis but shelled it.
"The way we've got there still needs
to be worked on but we're still alive and that's a big
sigh of relief in the changing room," Fleming said.
"After the first innings today we were
looking at March 4 and what time we were flying home.
We dug very deep and on a good wicket did things right."
The win, in a pressure situation, was
up there with their Champions Trophy triumph over India
in Nairobi in 2000 as one of their biggest one-day international
efforts.
But it never looked close at the innings
break with a super-confident South Africa walking out
to defend a seemingly unbeatable score.
Fleming, Boucher's blemish aside, was
in the most sublime form as he carved South Africa's
wayward pacemen over point and unleashed some of his
vintage leg side shots which barely gave the field a
chance.
He reached 50 off 47 balls with 10
fours after taking three successive boundaries off Kallis,
then in between rain breaks brought up three figures
for just the fourth time in his one-day international
career.
It was his first century since his
111 not out against Australia in Napier in 1998, and
beat his previous best of 116 not out also against Australia
in Melbourne the same year.
"I hadn't had great performances at
a World Cup in the past and this was my day," Fleming
said.
"It's always an honour to lead your
country, but as a player to lead from the front and
win the game, that's even more exciting."
McMillan did his job but still looked
to be battling for form aside from a mighty pull shot
over long-on for six off Allan Donald who eventually
had him caught behind for 25.
Astle, battling the pain of a hernia
and an injured knee, sat back and let Fleming keep control.
He again relished the move to No 3 as he struck nine
fours in his 54 off 57 balls.
New Zealand's bowling was off the mark
and they delivered more than two extra overs through
11 wides and three no-balls.
Gibbs nearly chopped the unlucky Andre
Adams on to his stumps twice but recovered to hit 19
fours and three sixes, including 20 off Daniel Vettori's
final over.
Adams, Vettori and Scott Styris all
had their moments with the ball as the score was pegged
back in the middle stages, with Styris ending with one
for 44 off 10 overs.
South Africa
G Smith c McCullum b Bond 23
H Gibbs c McMillan b Oram 143
N Boje b Styris 29
J Kallis c Vincent b Vettori
33
M Boucher c Cairns b Oram 10
L Klusener not out 33
S Pollock c Oram b Adams 10
G
Kirsten not out 5
Extras (6lb, 11w, 3nb) 20
Total (for 6 wickets, 50 overs) 306
Fall: 60 (Smith),
126 (Boje), 193 (Kallis), 243 (Boucher), 260 (Gibbs),
287 (Pollock).
Bowling: S Bond
10 overs 0 maidens 73 runs 1 wicket (2nb, 3w), A Adams
9-0-57-1 (4w), J Oram 8-0-52-2 (1nb, 3w), S Styris 10-0-44-1
(1w), D Vettori 10-0-58-1, N Astle 3-0-16-0.
New Zealand
C McMillan c Boucher b Donald 25
S
Fleming not out 134
N Astle not out 54
Extras (8lb, 8w) 16
Total (for 1 wicket, 36.5 overs) 229
Fall: 89 (McMillan).
Bowling: S Pollock 8-0-36-0, M Ntini
8-1-33-0 (3w), A Donald 5.5-0-52-1 (3w), J Kallis 8-0-47-0
(1w), N Boje 2-0-16-0 (1w), L Klusener 5-0-37-0.
Result: New Zealand
won by nine wickets.
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