Astle anchors New Zealand innings

The start of play was delayed by an hour because of a wet field after overnight rain but the match remained a 50-overs contest. Because of the expected pitch conditions, New Zealand included spin bowlers Paul Wiseman and Brooke Walker in place of pacemen Geoff Allott and Shayne O’Connor.

Skipper Stephen Fleming had no hesitation in deciding to bat after winning the toss. He said he expected the pitch to become more difficult for batsmen later in the match. Astle restrained his normal aggressive instincts and played an achor role before being bowled by the first ball of fast bowler Allan Donald’s second spell in the 40th over.

Donald had earlier struck with his first delivery in his first spell when he yorked Fleming in the 14th over. The biggest partnership of the innings was 53 for the fourth wicket between Astle and Chris Cairns before Cairns played across a slower ball from Lance Klusener and was bowled for 26.

In what seemed likely to be a low-scoring match, South Africa’s bowlers took some of the pressure off the tourists by conceding 13 wides.

New Zealand: C. Nevin lbw b Telemachus 5; N. Astle b Donald 58; S. Fleming b Donald 5; R. Twose b Kallis 16; C. Cairns b Klusener 26; C. Harris c Kallis b Pollock 19; C. McMillan lbw Pollock 13; A. Parore c Rhodes b Kallis 11; S. Styris not out 10; B. Walker not out 5; Extras (b1, lb10, nb2, w13) 26; Total (8 wkts, 50 overs) 194.

Falls of wickets: 1-10 (Nevin), 2-38 (Fleming), 3-65 (Twose), 4-118 (Cairns), 5-134 (Astle), 6-162 (McMillan), 7-165 (Harris), 8-183 (Parore).

Bowling: Pollock 10-1-32-1 (1w), Telemachus 10-5-16-1 (1w), Kallis 7-1-34-2 (2w), Donald 10-1-51-2 (5w), Klusener 8-0-32-1 (2w, 2nb), Boje 5-1-18-0 (2W).