Andre Nel scored ten runs off three balls in the 50th over to power South Africa to a two-wicket win over New Zealand in their first one-day international at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday.
Nel and Mark Boucher were left with the daunting task to score nine runs off the last three deliveries off the 50th over with Nel facing the bowling of Mark Gillespie to win the one-day international.
Nel did not disappoint. He struck two magnificent fours past extra cover to leave the scores tied with one delivery of the 50th over left.
The lower-order batsman then hit the final delivery over the head of point to create havoc at Kingsmead and depression in the dressing room of New Zealand.
Kyle Mills produced a potential match-winning performance by taking 5/25 in ten overs, including three late wickets as South Africa were left with the daunting task to score 11 runs in the final over to win.
New Zealand posted a challenging 248/6 in their 50 overs after South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
The visitors looked in complete control when they reduced South Africa to 17/2 after 11 overs.
Mills took the early wickets of Morne van Wyk (nought) and Jacques Kallis (one) with a superb spell on a wicket conducive to swing bowling.
He was well supported by Gillespie.
AB de Villiers (87, 103 balls, 9x4) and Graeme Smith (44, 64 balls, 4x4) repaired the early damage by adding 91 runs off 20.3 overs. They were aided by the toe injury to Gillespie, which made him less effective when he returned for his second spell.
Smith perished when he hit a long hop from Scott Styris down mid wicket’s throat.
A fourth-wicket partnership of 72 runs between JP Duminy and De Villiers ensued characterised by good running between the wickets.
De Villiers departed just as the pair were getting on top of the bowling, out manoeuvred by a clever slower delivery from the left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori in the 39th over.
New Zealand kept the pressure up with accurate and disciplined bowling and did not allow South Africa any release shots or cheap boundaries.
Duminy was caught on the mid-wicket boundary when he tried valiantly to hit another boundary off Chris Martin.
Earlier, Jamie How (90, 124 balls, 11x4) added 72 runs in 19 overs with Brendon McCullum (40, 67 balls, 4x4) for the second wicket, and 75 in 14.3 overs with Scott Styris (40, 45 balls, 1x4) for the third wicket as they powered the touring team to a competitive 248/6.
The wicket offered the seam bowlers bounce and movement, but the South Africans did not exploit the conditions.
Apart from Shaun Pollock, the attack bowled too short and offered McCullum and How enough opportunities to play pull shots.
Nel took 3/46 in ten overs and bowled well at the death.
Makhaya Ntini (0/62 in nine overs), Albie Morkel (1/54 in ten overs) and the off-spinner Johan Botha (1/44 in ten overs) were disappointing.
Teams
South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel
New Zealand: Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Mathew Sinclair, Jacob Oram, Gareth Hopkins, Daniel Vettori (capt), Kyle Mills, Mark Gillespie, Chris Martin.
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