Cricket: Papps leads NZ to 5-1 win and more misery for South Africa

By MARK GEENTY

New Zealand basked in their fifth straight win tonight and applied even more heat to the struggling South Africans ahead of the test cricket series.

Led by a superb career-best 92 not out off 139 balls from newly-elevated test opener Michael Papps, the Black Caps sealed a 5-1 series win against the world's second-ranked side.

Chasing South Africa's meagre 187, New Zealand won by five wickets with four overs to spare in a flat final match without the previous niggle at a sun-drenched McLean Park in Napier.

South Africa Captain Graeme Smith, perhaps still smarting from the intense verbal barrage from his opposite number Stephen Fleming in the previous match in Auckland, made another blunder at the toss which played a key part in the outcome.

He opted to bat first, apparently well aware of the previous match here six weeks ago when New Zealand dismissed Pakistan for 126.

Smith also hadn't learned from the second match in Christchurch where he batted first and the pitch seamed early on, going against Fleming's mantra of always bowl first in New Zealand one-dayers.

At 29 for five today the match was virtually over as a contest as Daryl Tuffey and Michael Mason relished the generous early seam movement to rip through South Africa's imposing top order.

South Africa recovered thanks to a record 10th wicket stand of 67 between Makhaya Ntini and Albie Morkel but with the pitch flattening all the time it was nowhere near a par score.

Papps and Fleming gave New Zealand a flyer with 58 off 13 overs -- Papps unleashing a series of delightful cover drives and Fleming almost immoveable.

A brilliant throw from the deep by Ntini removed Fleming for 32 as he chased a second run.

There were middle order jitters as regular wickets fell but Papps was the only anchor they needed, running through to his second international half-century off 85 balls.

Earlier the big guns Smith, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis were all removed before 15 runs were scored, with new test cap Mason dismissing Gibbs and Kallis, the latter unlucky to be given out caught behind by Tony Hill for nought.

Only a seventh wicket partnership of 63 off 110 balls between Ashwell Prince and Lance Klusener -- a record against New Zealand -- rescued the tourists from a sub-100 total.

Prince topscored with 47 off 86 balls after being dropped by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum down the leg side on 27 off Daniel Vettori's bowling in a rare blemish.

It saw McCullum miss the chance to beat his own New Zealand record as he ended with five catches, equalling his effort from last season against India in Christchurch.

New Zealand's pacemen all had a field day, with Tuffey taking three for 35 off 10 overs and Jacob Oram again in great form with three for 24 off 10.

At 119 for nine South Africa were well below their record low against New Zealand of 147 for seven in Hobart in 1993-94.

But Ntini had other ideas as he took to Chris Harris and Scott Styris, hitting Harris for two sixes and comfortably passing his previous highest score of 16 not out.

The tourists recovered from 29 for five and 119 for nine thanks to Morkel and Ntini, who whacked his highest one-day score of 42 not out.

It beat the previous best against all countries of 51 by Richard Snell and Fanie de Villiers against Sri Lanka in 1993-94.

- NZPA