Watch the highlights of New Zealand vs South Africa 10th Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 10th ODI match played between South Africa and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland on 29th February 1992.
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| Mark Greatbatch celebrates his half-century © ICC / Digital Cricket TV |
Brilliant fielding and tight bowling before A explosive 68 by Mark Greatbatch and Rod Latham's half-century leads to New Zealand comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa and make 3 wins a row in the tenth match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
South Africa scored 190-7 in 50 overs with top scorer by Peter Kirsten hit 90 off 129-balls - who fell ten-run short of his century - including 10-fours.
Brian McMillan cracked a unbeaten 33 off 40-balls including a boundary and David Richardson scored 28 off 53-balls included a four.
New Zealand best bowler by Willie Watson captured two-wickets for 30-runs in 10-overs including two maidens with economy rate of 3, Chris Cairns took 2-wickets and one for Dipak Patel - Chris Harris.
New Zealand chase down the target of 191 for 3 in 34.3 overs with top scorer by Mark Greatbatch hammered a 68 off 90-balls, Rod Latham cracked a 60 off 69-balls including 7-fours.
Andrew Jones hit a unbeaten 34 off 63-balls including 4-fours and Ian Smith blasted a 19 off 8-balls contained 4-fours with strike rate of 237.50.
South Africa best bowler by Peter Kirsten, Allan Donald and Richard Snell each took one-wickets.
Mark Greatbatch named Player of the match for his match-winning explosive innings of 68 off facing 60-balls including 9-fours & 2-sixes with strike rate of 113.33.
This match reported by REUTERS via The Canberra Times
New Zealand, fired by an explosive 68 from opener Mark Greatbatch, trounced South Africa by seven wickets in their World Cup cricket match at Eden Park.
The New Zealanders have now won their first three matches in the tournament and head the standings-two points clear of England, who face Pakistan in Adelaide Sunday.
Brilliant New Zealand fielding and tight bowling on a slow pitch contained South Africa to 7-190 in their 50 overs and the co-hosts swept home at 3-191 in 34.3 overs.
New Zealand were spurred to success by the emotion-charged crowd chanting "Kiwis, Kiwis, Kiwis" in rugby-style.
New Zealand, originally long shots to win the Cup, may have bookmakers scrambling to shorten their odds.
Greatbatch, a makeshift opener only playing because of an injury to John Wright, smashed the hapless South African bowlers to all parts of the ground, including one huge hit onto the roof of the tall North Stand.
South Africa's vaunted pace attack, which led them to a win over Cup holders Australia on Wednesday, was shown no respect at all with both Brian McMillan and Richard Snell clubbed by Greatbatch for sixes.
The opening pair raced to 50 in the 11th over and then took just 27 further balls to bring up the 100, in the 16th over.
In that over bowled by Adrian Kuiper, Greatbatch slugged three fours plus his grandstand six.
It was impossible for Greatbatch to last at that pace, and in the 18th over, with the total on 114, he was bowled by the gentle off-spin of Peter Kirsten, the seventh South African bowler to be used.
Greatbatch hit three sixes and nine fours in his marvellous 60-ball innings, the game being virtually won by the time he departed.
South African captain Kepler Wessels said after the match that he had expected a tough game.
"The New Zealanders played well under the conditions."
On man-of-the-match, Greatbatch, he said: "He was just hitting the ball very, very well on both sides of the wicket."
Greatbatch's partner Rod Latham, in the team as the dashing opener, brought up his 50 off just 57 balls and including six boundaries.
When he was finally out for 60, wicket-keeper Ian Smith came in to hit a lightning 19 including fours off his first three balls, while the dependable Andrew Jones ended up 34 not out.
The South African bowlers will want to forget this game. McMillan's first three overs cost 21 and he was replaced by Snell, who went for 24 from his first three and finished with one for 56 off seven overs.
Like their batsmen, they failed to come to terms with the lower, slower bounce of the pitch.
South Africa won the toss and decided to bat but little else went right after that. The innings was held together by the prolific-scoring Kirsten with an outstanding 90.
New Zealand captain Martin Crowe again used his tactic of opening the bowling with off-spinner Dipak Patel and the move paid off handsomely.
Crowe also led from the front in a brilliant fielding display.
In his third over Patel bowled a frustrated Andrew Hudson for one, going for a big hit, and the Kenyan-born slow bowler conceded just 13 in his first spell of seven overs.
Almost immediately, Willie Watson had Wessels caught brilliantly by Smith and from two for 10 the innings did not recover.
Hansie Cronje was caught for 22 off Chris Harris's first ball and wicketkeeper Dave Richardson was promoted to give some stability to the innings. He and Kirsten put on 79 in 76 balls before South Africa suffered further setbacks.
Richardson mistimed a pull off Chris Cairns to be out for 28 and then two balls later Adrian Kuiper was run out in unfortunate circumstances.
He got a top edge to a rising ball and was caught by Smith but failed to hear the square leg umpire's call of no-ball and was run out by the more alert New Zealanders.
Luck went the other way moments later when Kirsten was caught in the deep off a no-ball when on 84.
Kirsten finally went in a replay of the no-ball catch with Cairns taking him in the deep off Watson.
The compact little right-hander played fluently on the off-side, hitting 10 fours in his 129-ball innings which equalled South Africa's top one day score, made by Wessels against India late last year.
New Zealand's attack again bowled tightly, none more so than medium-pacer Gavin Larsen, who had figures of none for 29 from his 10 overs, and Watson with two for 30 from his 10.
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