Cricket: Black Caps lose series

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa - New Zealand's dreams of creating history with a first cricket series win on South African soil were dashed by the bludgeoning bat of Justin Kemp overnight.

South Africa chased down the Black Caps' 243 for nine to win the third match of the five-match one-day series, and with it the series, by four wickets at St George's Park.

Pursuing a target of 244, the home side needed 39 runs from the final four overs with just four wickets in hand and the result hung in the balance until Kemp, for the second time in the series, destroyed the New Zealand attack with some monstrous hitting.

Kemp nonchalantly flicked Kyle Mills for six over long on in the penultimate over and then, with nine needed from Shane Bond's final over, launched the first ball for one of the longest sixes seen at South Africa's oldest international venue.

The ball landed at least 30m over the boundary as it bounded into a road surrounding the ground.

Bond launched an apologetic bouncer with the next delivery which Kemp swung to the square leg boundary to win the game and finish on a highly entertaining 30 not out.

Herschelle Gibbs set the scene for the South Africans by earlier making 81.

"We had high hopes of winning a first series here, so obviously we're disappointed,'' New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said as his side fell 0-3 in arrears.

"We kept giving them chances and you can't do that against a team like South Africa. We weren't good enough."

Styris and Fleming earlier offered contrasting half-centuries to a total that always looked 20 runs short of par on a blameless pitch.

Fleming laboured slavishly for his 54 from 90 deliveries leaving dozens of deliveries alone outside off stump -- there were 59 dot balls in his 50 -- but his chance to accelerate was denied by a shocking piece of luck that turned the game South Africa's way.

A powerful straight drive from Styris was deflected on to the non-striker's stumps by bowler Kemp, leaving a dejected Fleming stranded out of his crease.

With Styris assuming the anchor role the Black Caps needed several high scoring cameos to set a challenging total -- and they tried.

But Craig McMillan was run out for 19 and Brendan McCullum made the same score before being bowled when well set for something more substantial.

The lower order would never have been placed under such pressure had Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent and Hamish Marshall not edged expansive drives behind to slip before reaching double figures.

With nine overs to go it appeared the tourists might struggle to pass 200 but Styris changed gear to reach 78 from 102 balls while Andre Adams scythed 25 runs from just 14 balls with a pair of boundaries and a six.

The teams end the series with games in Durban and Centurion on Friday and Sunday and Fleming is determined to "take something from the series''.

"It's sad to say that the series is lost but if we can win the next couple of games and lose it 2-3 then that will be some compensation.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand
S Fleming run out 54
N Astle c Kemp b Ntini 11
L Vincent c Boucher b Ntini 3
H Marshall c Smith b Nel 7
S Styris b Langeveldt 78
C McMillan run out 19
B McCullum b Ntini 19
A Adams run out 25
D Vettori c Gibbs b Nel 6
K Mills not out 6
Extras (5lb, 2nb, 8w) 15
Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 243

Fall: 18, 23, 49, 108, 155, 203, 206, 224, 243.

Bowling: S Pollock 10-0-23-0 (5w), M Ntini 10-0-37-3, A Nel 10-2-47-2, C Langeveldt 10-0-76-1 (2nb), J Kemp 7-0-40-0, G Smith 3-0-15-0 (3w).

South Africa
G Smith c McCullum b Adams 18
A de Villiers c McCullum b Mills 29
H Gibbs c Marshall b Bond 81
J Rudolph run out 17
A Prince c Mills b Adams 21
M Boucher run out 24
J Kemp not out 30
S Pollock not out 21
Extras (2lb, 1nb, 1w) 4
Total (for 6 wkts, 49.2 overs) 245

Fall: 40, 48, 101, 150, 187, 202.

Bowling: K Mills 10-2-45-1 (1nb), S Bond 9.2-1-73-1 (1w), A Adams 10-1-40-2, S Styris 10-0-32-0, D Vettori 9-0-49-0, N Astle 1-0-4-0.

Result: South Africa won by four wickets. South Africa lead five-match series 3-0.

- NZPA, REUTERS