Cricket: McMillan steers NZ to warm-up win

BENONI, South Africa - Craig McMillan took full advantage of the failure of his top-order to steer New Zealand to a 19-run victory over South Africa A in their rain-affected opening tour match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni today.

The fact the Kiwi top four were dismissed with just 42 runs on the board and a ragged ending to the South Africa A innings were just about the only factors preventing Black Caps skipper Stephen Fleming from giving his side full marks.

The limited-overs warm-up was played 40 kilometres east of Johannesburg.

McMillan was not fazed by coming in at 42 for four with new-ball bowlers Dale Steyn and Tyron Henderson (five for 38) enjoying swing and a bouncy pitch and his run-a-ball 105 lifted the Kiwis to 273 for nine in their 50 overs after they had chosen to bat first.

His partnership of 161 for the fifth wicket with James Marshall (64) was not spectacular, but it came at a good rate off 29 overs and Andre Adams later bashed 32 off 18 balls to stretch their total to one that was too great for the home side.

Shane Bond, in particular, and Kyle Mills proved too much to handle with the new ball and they effectively suffocated the South Africa A innings from the outset, just 22 runs coming off the first 13 overs.

Zander de Bruyn and Jacques Rudolph added 76 for the third wicket with few risky shots and South Africa A still needed 127 runs off the last 15 overs.

When the rain came, there were seven overs left to bowl with South Africa A on 199 for four, with Rudolph still at the crease with 73 and big-hitting left-hander Albie Morkel having bludgeoned 48 not out off just 28 balls, but New Zealand had probably done enough to win the match anyway.

Apart from Fleming (11), Nathan Astle (9), Lou Vincent (7) and Hamish Marshall (10) all wanting some runs in the second match between the two sides in Potchefstroom on Sunday, New Zealand will also need to work on their fielding. Four catches went down as Rudolph and Morkel launched a desperate late onslaught, adding 81 runs in 9.4 overs.

Bond's knack of swinging the ball late at high pace failed to earn him any wickets on Friday, but fellow seamers Kyle Mills and James Franklin bowled impressively to pick up a wicket apiece.

- NZPA