Boje, Boucher see SA through

KIMBERLEY, OCTOBER 29: Nicky Boje and Mark Boucher calmed South Africa’s nerves with a stand of 34 off just 19 balls to carry their side to a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the fourth One-day match on Saturday.

The victory gave South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match series after the first match in Potchefstroom was abandoned because of heavy rain. South Africa had appeared to be coasting to victory when they were 215-1 in the 39th over in pursuit of a target of 288. However, they lost four quick wickets to plummet to 255-5 after 45.4 overs when Boje, who has made two centuries and a half century in the series, and Boucher came together. With 32 needed off the last four overs, Boje and Boucher brought that down to 16 off the last two. They then thumped 17 off the first five balls of Chris Cairns’ 10th over. Boucher hit a six and Boje finished off the game with a six and four off successive balls to give the home team victory with seven balls to spare. Before South Africa’s mini collapse Jacques Kallis (93 off 111 balls) and Gary Kirsten (101 off 104 balls) had continued a remarkable run by the South Africans in the series. It took just 118 balls for Kallis and Kirsten to complete their hundred standon Saturday.

Scoreboard
New Zealand: C Nevin b Boje 68 N Astle c Boucher b Telemachus 5, S Fleming run out 85, R Twose c Pollock b Kallis 89, C Cairns c Pollock b Kallis 21, C McMillan c Kirsten b Pollock 1, C Harris not out 11, A Parore not out 0; Extras: 7
Total (for six wikcets in 50 overs): 287
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-113, 3-223, 4-272, 5-275, 6-283
Bowling: Pollock 10-0-40-1, Telemachus 9-0-60-1, Donald 5-0-46-0, Kallis 8-0-46-2, Boje 10-0-42-1, Klusener 8-0-49-0.
South Africa: D Cullinan c Astle b Cairns 17, G Kirsten c Parore b Cairns 101, J Kallis c Walker b Styris 93, J Rhodes b Harris 25, L Klusener c Fleming b Styris 9, N Boje (not out) 20, M Boucher (not out) 18; Extras: (lb-2, w-3, nb-1) 6.
Total (for five wickets in 48.5 overs) 289
Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-215, 3-221, 4-247, 5-255
Bowling: Cairns 9.5-2-67-2, O’Connor 8-0-46-0, Styris 10-0-56-2, Harris 10-0-58-1, Walker 7-0-41-0, Astle 4-0-19-0
Result: South Africa won by five wickets.