New Zealand, South Africa 1st ODI
Kemp inspires South Africa to thrilling win

BLOEMFONTEIN—Justin Kemp transformed a faltering South African performance into a thrilling two-wicket victory, by thumping a brilliant 73 from 64 balls, including five fours and three sixes. His efforts rescued South Africa from 100 for 4 at the halfway mark of their pursuit of 250, but when he and Shaun Pollock fell in consecutive overs with victory in sight, South Africa seemed intent on producing a replica of their infamous choke against England, in their very last international on this ground in January. Nicky Boje eventually sealed the win with three balls remaining, via a skied smear that just eluded Stephen Fleming’s grasp in the covers.
New Zealand’s bowlers responded to the impetus provided by their batsmen to restrict South Africa to 100 for 4 after the first 25 overs of South Africa’s reply, in the first one-day international at Bloemfontein.
South Africa’s openers got off to a rollicking start, aided by Bond whose first ball of the innings was a wide. Three fours were struck in the first over, which cost 15, and two further boundaries by Boeta Dippenaar in the second. The hosts had reached 29 without loss, in under three overs, before Bond got one to nip back sharply to trap Dippenaar in the crease for 10.
New Zealand by now had restricted the run-flow considerably, by bowling full and straight — much as Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini had done in New Zealand’s innings. In the sixth over, Jacques Kallis — attempting a flourishing cover-drive — missed the ball completely, and was bowled through the gate by Kyle Mills’ first delivery: a rarity for a batsman of such quality.
South Africa’s nightmare start to their innings was to continue as Graeme Smith, arguably the form batsman of both sides, dragged a delivery from Andre Adams onto his stumps. Bowling around the wicket, Adams found some swing and Smith, attempting to drive it on the off-side, clipped it onto his stumps. At 42 for 3, New Zealand were well on top and, despite a steady partnership of 44 between Herschelle Gibbs and Ashwell Prince, the visitors applied the brakes, increasing the required-run-rate to beyond five per over. Mills, in particular, bowled superbly and conceded just 21 from his eight overs.
The introduction of Nathan Astle brought the wicket of Prince who, like his captain, chopped a ball onto his stumps. Astle tossed the ball up wide of Prince’s off-stump, whose eyes lit up at the prospect of a certain boundary - but, again like Smith, a cross-batted swat resulted in the ball clipping the stumps, and Astle threw his arms up in delight, and shock.
Gibbs, not out on 15 from 55 balls, remains the key for both sides’ chances of victory in what is certain to be a tight finish.
Craig McMillan anchored New Zealand’s innings with a composed 66, before Brendon McCullum and Andre Adams provided some late impetus to lift their total to a respectable 249 for 8, in the first one-day international against South Africa at Bloemfontein. New Zealand’s innings had been given a good start by their captain, Stephen Fleming, who made 48 from 45 balls before falling to a stunning catch at point from Herschelle Gibbs.
McMillan was joined by Jacob Oram, with whom he put on 75 for the fifth wicket, before Oram suicidally ran himself out. A lofted six by McMillan off Jacques Kallis increased the momentum of his innings significantly, and he was quick to dispatch anything short: his fifty, from 57 balls, came via a deft cut for four to third man.
Kallis, with an excellent slower ball, foxed McMillan (66) whose attempt to nudge the ball to the leg-side provided Ashley Prince with the simplest of chances at midwicket, and Kallis’s 200th ODI wicket. Daniel Vettori, who could only last three balls, made way for Adams who lofted a big six over long-on. In the next over, McCullum drove Nel over extra cover for his second six — an extraordinary, almost effortless shot which he attempted to repeat later in the over, to his peril.
A flurry of runs from the lower-order enabled New Zealand to creep up to a very respectable score of 249 for 8, which represented a significant recovery from the shaky position they earlier found themselves in.
South Africa had dominated the first half of New Zealand’s innings, snaffling four early wickets, and restricting the run-rate considerably. Makhaya Ntini and, in particular, Shaun Pollock were quick to find the right length, consistently troubling both Nathan Astle and Fleming, neither of whom were able to break free.
Astle flashed and edged precariously and, in the third over, Pollock tempted him into cutting a ball, which gave Mark Boucher his first catch of the day. A delightful and disdainful flick from Astle’s replacement, Lou Vincent, broke the shackles for New Zealand, who had scored just 11 in the first five overs. But Ntini cleverly got one to straighten on Vincent, who played a poor back-foot defensive shot which gave Boucher his second simple catch of the innings.—Agencies