One name that made all the difference: Fleming

There was batting harakiri on either side of the supper break. But New Zealand had a better captain shepherding them through a crisis while his South African counterpart flirted disastrously with impatience.

There was batting harakiri on either side of the supper break. But New Zealand had a better captain shepherding them through a crisis while his South African counterpart flirted disastrously with impatience. And the Kiwis emerged winners by 87 runs over South Africa in their opening group tie of the Champions Trophy, with Fleming8217;s defiant 89 making all the difference at the Brabourne Stadium.

Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram and Jeetan Patel bagged three wickets apiece, as South Africa faltered horribly, scoring 108 while chasing a moderate score of 195.

But 195 had looked distinctly unassured when New Zealand struggled while batting 8212; stuttering all along the way 8212; and staring at the opposing line-up comprising Smith, Gibbs and Kallis amongst others, a lineup which was confident of chasing down any score, when Smith opted unconventionally to bowl first.

New Zealand found both their resilience and respite in the tall figure of Stephen Fleming, who save for the hulky Jacob Oram, physically towers over the rest of the Kiwi bunch anyway. The Black Caps captain led his modestly-rated team from the front as they re-connected with international cricket through a tournament they had famously clinched half a dozen years ago.

Stroking the ball effortlessly, even as his fumbling team-mates first fell to a hint of swing and then guile, none crossing even 25 in the bargain, the southpaw8217;s stand-out knock brought to life an otherwise dull afternoon.

It8217;s been three years since Fleming scored a century 8212; he has once fallen for 99 since that ton at Christchurch, incidentally against South Africa 8212; and the three-figure mark eluded him at the CCI again when he eventually holed out to Shaun Pollock in the 44th over. But taking guard, after the South Africans took a cue from previous encounters, the elegant left-hander was quick to punish the bad balls, twice driving Andrew Hall to the fence on either side of the wicket in the 15th over. The sight of a new face every other over at the other end did make him a tad circumspect and only two of his 11 boundaries came after he crossed 50.

But looking every bit the composed skipper, Fleming eked out mini-partnerships, first with Nathan Astle, later in the company of Brendon McCullum to make a fight out of their opener.

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While it was some early movement and low bounce which saw the South African pacers account for the top order, Kallis seemed to carry his birthday cheer onto the field, claiming 3-28 while bowling beyond the power-plays in the middle overs as the Kiwis were pegged five runs short of 200. 8220;We were looking at 220-225, but when Mills got the first few wickets, we knew 195 was defendable,8217;8217; Fleming said later.

Dubbed a dibbly-dobbly unit, self-confessedly with no glamour figure to boot since Chris Cairns8217; curls stopped ruffling the air and his lusty hitting resonated at stadiums across the world, New Zealand have had to make do with bits of talent and pieces of brilliance. But as South Africa launched their chase, Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram bent their formidable backs to extract pace from an unfriendly wicket 8212; more than making up for the yet-not-fit Shane Bond.

Mills sent back Dippenaar, Gibbs and Kallis for next to nothing, and first-change Oram then lured Graeme Smith, who had raced to 42, into one bad shot. Potential rescuers Boucher and Pollock were then shunted out, before Daniel Vettori was even summoned. Offie Jeetan Patel 8212; being cultivated as a specialist death bowler 8212; then sounded the death knell for his opponents, as the Kiwis recorded only their second win over South Africa outside of New Zealand, the first coming at the 2003 World Cup.