Cricket: Black Caps face uphill battle

New Zealand are reliant on their bowlers after failing to deliver with the bat in the Champions Trophy one-day cricket against South Africa tonight.

New Zealand posted a disappointing 214 in 47.5 overs after being invited to bat first in the group B match at SuperSport Park at Centurion.

Only Ross Taylor prospered as he top scored with 72, his 11th one-day half-century, but the innings folded quickly as the last five wickets fell for just 11 runs.

Left-arm pace bowler Wayne Parnell was the chief beneficiary, collecting career-best figures of five for 57, including Taylor's scalp in the 47th over.

Taylor was circumspect until he reached his half-century. He then upped the tempo appreciably as the overs ticked by before his innings ended when he was trapped leg before wicket to a full delivery by Parnell after he had faced 106 balls.

New Zealand were guilty of not building partnerships, their best being a stand of 71 for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Grant Elliott, who made a fluent 39 off 48 balls.

The top order only partially did their jobs after opener Jesse Ryder departed early for eight when Roelof van der Merwe pulled off a smart catch at mid wicket.

Martin Guptill then helped Brendon McCullum put on 46 for the second wicket before Guptill was dismissed for 21 when mistiming an attempted pull shot off seamer Wayne Parnell.

McCullum played within himself as he guided his side towards 100 inside 25 overs but fell when well set after top-edging a sweep off spinner Johan Botha.

He left having done the hard work, his 44 off 68 balls featuring three fours and two sixes, before the onus went on the middle order with New Zealand 92 for three in the 24th over.

New Zealand entered the match after changes were forced on them by injury and illness.

Seamer Ian Butler was laid low by a stomach bug while allrounder Jacob Oram damaged a hamstring while training yesterday.

Oram is due to have a scan to determine his fitness for New Zealand's next group B match, against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

The New Zealanders chose to play backup wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins as a specialist batsman ahead of using a second specialist spinner in Jeetan Patel.

It was a decision they could rue given the bounce and turn extracted by South African slow bowlers Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe.

Left-armer van der Merwe, in particular, bowled extremely well for his figures of two for 35 off 10 overs. He bowled Elliott then quickly trapped Neil Broom leg before wicket for one.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand

B McCullum c Duminy b Botha 44

J Ryder c van der Merwe b Parnell 8

M Guptill c Amla b Parnell 21

R Taylor lbw b Parnell 72

G Elliott b van der Merwe 39

N Broom lbw b van der Merwe 1

G Hopkins c Duminy b Parnell 13

K Mills c de Villiers b Steyn 0

D Vettori not out 1

D Tuffey c Duminy b Parnell 4

S Bond c de Villiers b Steyn 0

Extras (4b, 5lb, 1w, 1nb) 11

Total (47.5 overs) 214

Fall: 12 (Ryder), 58 (Guptill), 92 (McCullum), 163 (Elliott), 171 (Broom), 203 (Hopkins), 204 (Mills), 209 (Taylor), 213 (Tuffey), 214 (Bond).

Bowling: D Steyn 9.5-1-32-2, W Parnell 8-0-57-5 (1w), J Kallis 8-0-24-0, A Morkel 3-0-13-0 (1nb), J Botha 9-1-44-1, R van der Merwe 10-1-35-2.

- NZPA