KEY POINTS:
It was four years ago at the Wanderers that Stephen Fleming last broke South African hearts, and he was at it again yesterday with one of his most complete performances in a decade of captaincy.
The subject of a fierce debate during less memorable times earlier this year, Fleming pulled the strings as expertly as a puppet-master at the Grenada National Stadium, not only ensuring New Zealand qualified for the World Cup semis but tipping South Africa into an effective quarter-final with England.
Granted, his half-century during New Zealand's chase for 194 reflected timely form and a man in charge of his destiny, but it was his tactical effort in the field that set up the five-wicket win and reaffirmed his reputation as one of the best leaders around.
So much for the suggestion that his powers were waning.
From the moment he won an admittedly influential toss and conceded his previous blunder by bowling first, the world's most experienced captain was at his best, ringing the changes among his bowlers with an almost eerie prescience and turning the screws on the South Africans with pinpoint field placements.
His timing of the introduction of spinners Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori was inspired, leading to the critical wicket of Jacques Kallis and the reduction of the run-rate to a trickle.
Then there was the call to introduce the almost harmless, Rod Latham-type medium pace of Craig McMillan, which reaped three wickets and neutralised the sting in the South African tail.
Fleming hounded the South Africans to the end and presided over a side that conceded just 104 runs off the last 20 overs, and 55 off the final 10. His parting shot with the bat wasn't as magnificent as his 134 at Johannesburg in the previous World Cup, but in terms of purpose, importance and composure it was just what his team required. Along the way he became the first New Zealander to post 8000 ODI runs, and when he was caught at the wicket for 50 he'd scored 340 tournament runs at 48.57, including a strike-rate of 85.85.
In contrast, his South African counterpart Graeme Smith seemed to badly misread his team's situation, and now knows he'll almost certainly need to beat England on Wednesday at Barbados to have a tournament future.
Before the game, Smith not only disagreed with South African reporters that yesterday's showdown was a "crunch" contest but said New Zealand would be taking a great risk if they played both spinners and suggested he'd have batted first if he'd won the toss.
As it happened, a win would have been crucial for his side, New Zealand's spinners filled their boots in helpful conditions and batting first proved exceptionally difficult.
With those comments in mind, you have to wonder whether South Africa are about to self-destruct again.
Their World Cup horror-show started back at the 1992 semifinal when a bizarre rain-rule left them - after they'd departed the field with 20 required off 13 balls - needing 22 runs off a single delivery.
Then, in 1996, coach Bob Woolmer and skipper Hansie Cronje decided to drop Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers on the eve of their quarter-final against the West Indies and play two spinners. Brian Lara smashed 111 and the Windies won at a canter.
Four years later in England the South Africans bowed out of the semifinals after choking against Australia, and in the following tournament at home they were eliminated after skipper Shaun Pollock bungled the Duckworth-Lewis equation.
No doubt Smith will be desperate to salvage the show at Bridgetown on Wednesday, but it will require a far more savvy effort from both him and his teammates if South Africa are to grab a semifinal lifeline.
On yesterday's effort, he could do worse than take a leaf out of Fleming's book.
