Captains Fleming and Smith share the trophy

Gary Kirsten bowed out of Test cricket on a high note as South Africa completed a six-wicket victory to square the series against New Zealand.

Kirsten supported captain Graeme Smith who led from the front with an unbeaten 125 to steer his side home.

The pair shared a match-winning fourth-wicket stand of 171 before Kirsten fell for 76.

Kirsten's wicket was South Africa's only loss on the final day as they wrapped up victory soon after lunch.

Kirsten survived a number of appeals before umpire Asoka de Silva finally gave him out lbw for 76 to Scott Styris from the penultimate scheduled delivery of the morning session.

Certainly from a personal point of view I would say it was pretty much the highlight of my Test career Gary Kirsten More post-match reaction

A good fifth day crowd of 2,000 gave an openly emotional and tearful Kirsten a standing ovation as he departed his 101st and last Test match with a raised bat.

Kirsten had played a key role in a first hour of the morning that was always going to be crucial for both sides.

New Zealand needed to take wickets while South Africa needed to preserve them and the tourists won that battle with Smith playing his best innings of the tour when his country needed it the most.

He reached his seventh Test century in 233 minutes and from 162 balls, hitting 13 boundaries.

Kirsten was less flamboyant at the other end before producing some great shots to reach his 34th Test half-century in 187 minutes off 146 balls, including six fours.

The previous best fourth wicket partnership was 146, set by Daryll Cullinan and Hansie Cronje at the same venue in 1998-99.

Resuming after lunch on 207-4, Smith and Martin van Jaarsveld (13 not out) wasted little time in polishing off the 27 remaining runs South Africa needed.

Man of the match Smith hit Chris Martin through mid-wicket for the winning score.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Martin van Jaarsveld, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.