Cricket: South Africa tear up ND with six wickets to spare

By RICHARD BOOCK in Hamilton

South Africa began their tour in ominous, if predictable, fashion last night, crushing a Black Caps-studded Northern Districts side by six wickets.

Any thoughts that the South Africans would be slow out of the blocks after their exhausting flight were thoroughly dispelled during the 50-over match, as they bowled out Northern for just 114, then knocked off the runs in a mere 17.2 overs.

It was another disappointing effort from the home side, who finished bottom of the State Shield competition, and were last night bursting at the seams with six New Zealand players, none of whom made a telling contribution.

Testing Daniel Vettori as an opening batsman was a partial success in that he occupied the crease long enough to scrape together 31 - but there was little else for the Black Caps players to enthuse over.

Hamish Marshall faced 21 balls before fencing at Lance Klusener and being caught at the wicket. Scott Styris miscued a pull off Albie Morkel and test wicket-keeper Robbie Hart was deceived in the air and caught and bowled.

The only resistance came from left-hander Grant Robinson, who was unbeaten on 35 off 70 balls when Northern's innings expired midway through the 43rd over.

On a pitch that played slowly and offered some turn, Northern were initially damaged by the seam bowling of Klusener and Morkel, and were then finished off by the left-arm spin duo of Nicky Boje and Robin Peterson.

Boje, playing his first game for South Africa since his injury last July, bowled tidily while picking up a brace of wickets, and Peterson mopped up the tail to end with three for 17.

Having elected to rest Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Andre Nel, South Africa's response with the bat was as emphatic as their bowling, the only blemish being three cheap wickets lost as the target loomed.

Openers Herschelle Gibbs and Boeta Dippenaar began as if they had a early-evening movie planned, playing some ferocious shots and effectively making sure of the result in the first five overs. So savage was their assault that when Gibbs cracked Daryl Tuffey to Bruce Martin at square leg in the seventh over, South Africa had already breezed through to 51 and were starting to think of an early return to Auckland.

Given that New Zealand's one-day squad will be trimmed to 12 today, Ian Butler would not have been happy about taking the brunt of the punishment, although he did return from the other end to send back Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph and Mark Boucher.

The mini-collapse repaired, South Africa raced to the win courtesy of Dippenaar and Morkel, who rendered the Westpac Stadium lights unnecessary as the target was eclipsed with 32.4 overs remaining.

Dippenaar, who played a couple of cracking square cuts, was unbeaten on 45 at the end, having faced 50 balls and struck eight fours and a six.

Long-hitter Morkel needed just 10 balls to speed to 17, cracking a brace of fours and a six, and ending the game with a flourish.

Vettori was hardly required at the bowling crease, so quickly did South Africa chase down the target, and Tuffey was reasonably tidy.

The bigger issue now is undoubtedly Butler, who generated good pace from each end, but struggled for his line and length and punctuated his two spells with eight wides and a few no-balls.