Cricket: Vincent fails to stop South African march

CAPE TOWN - A defiant and occasionally brilliant 90 from Lou Vincent wasn't enough to steer New Zealand to victory in the second one-day international against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town.

The black Caps slumped to 182 all out to lose by 19 runs to South Africa who scored 201-9 off their 50 overs for their 11th consecutive one-day triumph.

Vincent made light work of an awkward pitch smashing a pair of huge sixes in a half century that came from just 37 deliveries.

But his pace slowed as wickets tumbled relentlessly at the other end and, with cramp hindering his progress at the end of the innings, he mistimed a pull shot against Makhaya Ntini and holed out to mid wicket and end the Black Caps hopes.

Only Scott Styris (27) and super-sub James Franklyn (21) offered Vincent meaningful support against a hostile, Makhaya Ntini-inspired South African attack although two moments of umpiring controversy -- both leading to wickets for spinner Nicky Boje -- contributed to New Zealand's defeat.

South African third umpire Karl Hurter gave Brendan McCullum (1) out stumped despite numerous television replays suggesting plenty of doubt, while Daniel Vettori was adjudged by umpire Ian Howell to have hit the ball onto his pad before being caught by Graeme Smith at silly point. Replays again suggested major doubt.

As in the first game of the five match series in Bloemfontein, it all could -- and perhaps should -- have been so different for the Black Caps after a near-perfect bowling and fielding performance following South African captain Graeme Smith's decision to bat first.

Styris was the pick of the Black Caps' attack with his perfectly controlled mix of gentle seamers and off cutters that stifled the attacking instincts of the South African middle order.

The home side called opening batsman Andrew Puttick into the side as an 11th hour replacement for the injured Boeta Dippenaar and AB de Villiers.

The Capetonian left hander was summoned from the middle of a domestic first class game 60 kilometres away but it took just five deliveries for Shane Bond to clip the top of his off stump.

But Smith (36) and Herschelle Gibbs (33) turned a cautious rebuilding effort into a potentially dangerous platform at 69-1 in the 15th over before the innings was turned on its head with three wickets in as many overs.

Smith appeared unsettled by a series of verbal assaults from Kyle Mills and was bowled by Styris two overs later.

Shaun Pollock's promotion to number four ended after just four balls with a catch at long-on and Gibbs was trapped lbw with a fine inswinger from Mills who flourished at the end of the innings to finish with 4-44.

But Jacques Kallis, reading conditions perfectly on his home ground, laboured his way to a painstaking 51 from 94 deliveries secure in the knowledge that a total of around 200 always has a chance of winning on a ground notorious for the difficulties it presents a team batting second under floodlights.

The teams lock horns again in a day game Port Elizabeth on Sunday (Monday NZT).

* Final scoreboard in the second one-day international between South Africa and New Zealand:

South Africa

G Smith b Styris 36
A Puttick b Bond 0
H Gibbs lbw b Mills 33
S Pollock c Adams b Styris 0
J Kallis c Vincent b Mills 51
A Prince b Vettori 19
M Boucher c and b Mills 40
J Kemp not out 8
C Langeveldt c Adams b Mills 1
M Ntini b Bond 0
A Nel not out 4
Extras (lb1, nb2, w6) 9
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 201

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-69, 3-71, 4-74, 5-120, 6-182, 7-188, 8-196, 9-197
Bowling: Mills 10-0-44-4 (2w), Bond 10-0-42-2 (2nb, 2w), Adams 6-0-39-0, Styris 10-1-29-2 (1w), Vettori 10-0-31-1 (1w), Astle 4-0-15-0.

New Zealand

S Fleming c Smith b Ntini 6
N Astle c Gibbs b Ntini 3
L Vincent c Prince b Ntini 90
S Styris c Kemp b Nel 27
C McMillan c Boucher b Langeveldt 3
J Oram c Boucher b Kemp 11
B McCullum st Boucher b Boje 1
D Vettori c Smith b Boje 0
J Franklin c Puttick b Langeveldt 21
A Adams lbw b Langeveldt 6
K Mills not out 2
Extras (lb5, nb1, w6) 12
Total (47.5 overs) 182

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-16, 3-80, 4-93, 5-126, 6-129, 7-137, 8-165, 9-177
Bowling: Pollock 7-0-36-0, Ntini 10-1-29-3 (1w), Nel 9-1-32-1 (3w), Langeveldt 7.5-3-35-3 (1nb), Kemp 6-0-19-1, Boje 8-0-26-2 (2w).

Result: South Africa won by 19 runs.
Series: South Africa lead 2-0.

- NZPA