Feb 29 (Reuters) – Hashim Amla missed out on a 10th
century but still guided South Africa to a comfortable
six-wicket victory over New Zealand in their second one-day
international in Napier on Wednesday, sealing the series with a
game to spare.
The visitors took the first match in Wellington by six
wickets and have now won their last four games in New Zealand,
having also taken the final two Twenty20 matches to clinch that
series.
Amla, who made a blistering start with seven boundaries in
his first 32 runs, anchored the innings with 92 before he nicked
a delivery from legspinner Tarun Nethula to Brendon McCullum
with the victory target of 231 well in sight.
Amla combined well with Faf du Plessis (34) and JP Duminy
(43) before captain AB de Villiers (31 not out) and Justin
Ontong (17 not out) guided the visitors to victory in just 38.2
overs, making a mockery of New Zealand’s innings.
The hosts had been dismissed for 230 in 47.3 overs after
fast bowler Morne Morkel had destroyed their lower order, twice
having hat-trick deliveries, before he finished with career-best
figures of 5-38 from 9.3 overs.
McCullum and Martin Guptill (58) had combined for a 107-run
partnership to set New Zealand up for a score in excess of 300,
widely considered the minimum required on the small McLean Park
ground, when they took their batting power play after the 32nd
over with the score on 162-2.
The hosts then lost three wickets for 20 in five overs as
Kane Williamson (13) and McCullum (85) threw away their wickets
trying to smash Lonwabo Tsotsobe out of the park, before Jesse
Ryder was then caught behind for a two-ball duck.
Morkel, who had figures of 0-33 off seven overs, then ran
through the lower order and finished off the innings when Andrew
Ellis was caught in the deep for 17 to give the fast bowler his
first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals.
The final match is at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday
before the three-test series begins in Dunedin on March 7.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by John
O’Brien; greg.stutchbury@thomsonreuters.com; +64 4 802 7982;
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