Second One-Day International South Africa v New Zealand 2007-08 Neil Manthorp

Almanack home 2008 home

At Port Elizabeth, November 30, 2007 (day/night). New Zealand won by seven wickets. Toss: South Africa.

At last, some reward for the tirelessly trying tourists, who produced a performance worthy of a bonus point, if such things existed in bilateral series. The impressive Mills repeated his double strike of the previous match, this time removing both openers for ducks. Three more wickets left the innings in tatters at 66 for five, and it took the experience of Boucher and Pollock to produce a recovery - and evidence that the top order's histrionics about the supposed uneven bounce were, at best, exaggerated. McCullum and How built their match-winning stand of 154 on the back of some naive bowling from the South Africans, who had become convinced that short-of-a-length bullying tactics were all that was required to beat New Zealand. Not so this time, not against two men so strong square of the wicket.

Men of the Match: J. M. How and B. B. McCullum.

Neil Manthorp is a South African broadcaster and journalist, and head of the MWP Sport agency

© Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

Matches

South Africa v New Zealand at Port Elizabeth

Series/Tournaments

New Zealand tour of South Africa

Teams

New Zealand

South Africa