Cricket: Fleming warms up with ton and victory

Captain Stephen Fleming steered New Zealand through the heat and a dying pitch to a 103-run victory in their second warmup cricket match in South Africa yesterday.

Preparing for their five one-dayers against South Africa starting on Sunday, the Black Caps, with Fleming's 100, scored 231-9 in their 50 overs after being put in to bat.

Shane Bond went for 36 in his first four overs but applied the brakes with 5-37 in 5.5 overs to finish off South Africa A for just 128.

Fleming was the Black Caps' mainstay but the rest of the batsmen largely wasted an opportunity to cash in on the flat Potchefstroom track.

Fleming timed the ball sweetly and never looked troubled in his 114-ball stay. His elegant century, that included 16 boundaries, featured some beautiful stroke-play.

"I'm happy with my own form, it's nice to get some momentum going, but it was hard for the other batsmen to come in and start scoring," Fleming said.

It took lower-order contributions from Brendon McCullum (37) and Kyle Mills (47 not out) to get the Black Caps past 200 after the skipper fell at 148-6.

Nathan Astle scored a 12-ball duck before edging a catch to second slip, while Lou Vincent sparkled briefly with a six and a four in his 14.

Hamish Marshall had wretched luck when he flicked his first ball to square-leg and Jacob Oram (2) threw his wicket away trying a risky single.

Bond bowled with his usual fire but it was wily medium-pacers Astle and Andre Adams who did the most to restrict the South Africa A batsmen, just 51 runs trickling off their combined 18 overs.

"It's too early to be concerned about the top-order, because it's pretty hot here and the guys have spent the last few weeks practising indoors," Fleming said.

"It will take a bit of adjustment. Kyle Mills was cooked by the heat today; after bowling five overs he was in lala land and it was pretty important to get him off as soon as possible."

Fleming said he always thought 230 was enough, unless there was some individual brilliance, because the pitch was always going to get lower and slower.

"It was a tired pitch. The last time we were here we watched Nicky Boje get a pretty good hundred against us, so we were expecting another good track. But the life was sucked out of it as the day progressed."

- NZPA