New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming led from the front as the Black Caps snatched a dramatic 87-run victory over South Africa in the Champions Trophy here on Monday.
New Zealand, bowled out for 195 after being given first strike in the day-night international, fought back to dismiss the powerful Proteas for 108 in the most absorbing match of the tournament so far.
Man-of-the-match Fleming held New Zealand's crumbling innings together with a defiant 89, inspiring his team-mates to make a spectacular comeback in the second session on a dusty wicket at the Brabourne stadium.
Seamer Kyle Mills, who opened the bowling in the absence of injured pace spearhead Shane Bond, grabbed three wickets with his first 19 deliveries to reduce South Africa to 25-3 by the eighth over.
Left-handed Fleming, who opened the innings, remained rock-solid even as wickets tumbled around him, before he was ninth out in the 44th over close to his 10th one-day century. South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis marked his 31st birthday with 3-28 off seven overs. Left-arm spinner Robin Peterson picked up 2-34.
Veteran seamer Shaun Pollock became the fifth bowler to claim 350 one-day wickets when he bowled Lou Vincent for 17 to end an opening stand of 27. Pollock, 33, joined the rare club led by Pakistani Wasim Akram (502 wickets) and followed by Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka (419), Waqar Younis of Pakistan (416) and Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas (358).
Meanwhile, Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf returned home from India following the death of his mother. Rauf, who was due to be the television umpire on Monday, was replaced by Rudi Koertzen of South Africa. Rauf is unlikely to return for the rest of the tournament which ends on November 5.
SCOREBOARD
NEW ZEALAND:
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L. Vincent b Pollock 17
S. Fleming c Pollock b Kallis 89
N. Astle b Hall 14
H. Marshall b Nel 1
P. Fulton c Boucher b Kallis 2
J. Oram c Dippenaar b Peterson 7
B. McCullum c and b Peterson 21
D. Vettori c Boucher b Smith 9
J. Franklin b Kallis 9
K. Mills not out 4
J. Patel run out 2
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Extras: (b4, lb4, nb1, w11) 20
Total: 195
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Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Vincent), 2-74 (Astle), 3-76 (Marshall), 4-86 (Fulton), 5-99 (Oram), 6-135 (McCullum), 7-156 (Vettori), 8-180 (Franklin), 9-192 (Fleming)
Bowling: Pollock 6-1-18-1 (nb1, w1), Ntini 6-0-35-0, Nel 6-2-15-1 (w1), Hall 4-0-25-1 (w1), Kallis 7-0-28-3 (w5), Peterson 8.4-0-34-2, Smith 8-0-32-1 (w3).
Overs: 45.4
SOUTH AFRICA:
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G. Smith c Vettori b Oram 42
B. Dippenaar lbw b Mills 0
H. Gibbs b Mills 0
J. Kallis c and b Mills 8
M. Boucher c McCullum b Oram 8
J. Kemp not out 26
S. Pollock c Patel b Oram 1
A. Hall c Vincent b Patel 13
R. Peterson c Fleming b Vettori 0
A. Nel b Patel 0
M. Ntini b Patel 1
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Extras: (lb5, nb3, w1) 9
Total: 108
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Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Dippenaar), 2-3 (Gibbs), 3-25 (Kallis), 4-50 (Boucher), 5-69 (Smith), 6-71 (Pollock), 7-99 (Hall), 8-100 (Peterson), 9-105 (Nel)
Bowling: Mills 6-0-18-3 (w1), Franklin 10-0-33-0 (nb2), Oram 8-1-26-3, Vettori 7-1-15-1 (nb1), Patel 3.1-0-11-3
Overs: 34.1
New Zealand won by 87 runs
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: Mark Benson (ENG) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Rudi Koertzen (RSA)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).
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