BBC SPORT | Cricket | Specials | Australia v South Africa

1st VB Series final, Melbourne: South Africa 191-2 (191-2) beat New Zealand 190 (47.5 overs) by eight wickets

A career-best five-wicket haul for Makhaya Ntini took South Africa to a 1-0 lead over New Zealand in the best-of-three VB Series finals.

The pace bowler took five for 31 in 10 overs as the Kiwis were bowled out for a paltry 191 in front of just 20,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

And South Africa reached that total with almost five overs to spare after a steady third wicket partnership between Jacques Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar.

Kallis finished 59 not out from 80 deliveries, while Dippenaar survived what looked like an edge behind off Chris Cairns early on to make an unbeaten 79.

Opener Gary Kirsten was run out at the non-striker's end by a deflection from the bowler Craig McMillan's hand in the 14th over.

And just 10 balls later, Cairns had Herschelle Gibbs caught behind.

But, despite using eight bowlers, Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming could not make a further breakthrough.

The Black Caps were hampered by the loss of pace bowler Dion Nash, who aggravated an abdominal injury while batting and managed just a single over.

Kirsten and Kallis set a record for the highest third wicket partnership for South Africa against New Zealand, passing their own previous mark of 112 in Auckland in 1998-99.

Dippenaar had averaged just 19.25 in making 77 runs in fourpool matches of the series before this innings.

Missed hat-trick

Man-of-the-match Ntini had New Zealand in trouble right from the start, taking two early wickets to reduce them to 18 for two.

And he later missed out on a hat-trick after dismissing Nash and Adam Parore in successive deliveries before adding the scalp of Andre Adams in his final over.

New Zealand's Craig McMillan hits out
McMillan top scored for the Kiwis with 73
Fleming won the toss and chose to bat but soon found himself having to steady the ship after the early loss of Lou Vincent and Nathan Astle.

Vincent was caught in the gully by Jonty Rhodes off Ntini and Astle followed in Ntini's next over when he edged to the diving Kallis at second slip.

Fleming and Craig McMillan then picked off singles to repair the damage.

Vital wicket

Fleming brought up his 50 from 78 balls but fell almost immediately when he lofted a catch to Kallis off Lance Klusener with the score on 127.

Klusener then grabbed the vital wicket of Cairns when Kirsten took a great running catch in the deep to dimiss the all-rounder for a duck.

Chris Harris went next, caught behind by Mark Boucher off Pollock and New Zealand's hopes faded when McMillan was run out for 73.

Ntini ripped out Nash and Parore in successive balls and he soon claimed his fifth wicket when Adams holed out to Klusener on the boundary.

The series now moves to Sydney, with matches scheduled for Friday and, if necessary Sunday.

But the city was hit be heavy rain this week and the Australian Cricket Board said if both matches were washed out, the victor in the Melbourne game would be declared series champions.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Adam Parore, Andre Adams, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Brendon McCullum (12th man).
South Africa: Shaun Pollock (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong (12th man).


	Links to more Australia v South Africa stories