JOHANNESBURG, 17 February 2003 — Captain Stephen Fleming hit a brilliant career-best 134 not out to lift New Zealand to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa in a World Cup Group B match cut short by rain at the Wanderers yesterday.

Chasing a revised target of 226, the Kiwis got home with 13 balls to spare, Fleming and Nathan Astle (a run-a-ball 54) sharing in a second-wicket stand of 140 to earn New Zealand only their second one-day win over South Africa in 13 matches.

The left-handed Fleming hammered 21 fours in 132 balls, his fourth one-day century but first in a World Cup, in a game his team needed to win to have a realistic chance of advancing to the Super Six stage.

The result could mean the end of South Africa’s World Cup, as they must now win all their remaining pool games and hope that West Indies beat Sri Lanka in Cape Town on Feb. 28.

“It’s very difficult now (to qualify for the next stage) but we still have hope,” said South Africa captain Shaun Pollock.

“We still believe we can get through. (The revised target and) the conditions didn’t help much but, in the end, they outplayed us.”

Fleming set the tone with an opening stand of 89 with Craig McMillan, who was caught behind for 25 driving at a Jacques Kallis outswinger in the 15th over.

New Zealand were 182 for one after 30.3 overs when rain forced the players from the field for a second time. Following a recalculation based on the Duckworth/Lewis system, they were left to score 44 more runs off 51 balls for victory. When 14 then came off a Lance Klusener over, the result was never in question.

After taking calculated risks to get New Zealand off to a fast start, Fleming adopted a more orthodox approach and was in supreme command as he compiled a 109-ball century, having survived a regulation chance to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on 53. The New Zealand skipper said it was his best innings under that sort of pressure, adding: “We got together (before our reply) and said it was our last chance, let’s see what we can do. I’ve waited a long time for an innings like that and I’m very happy to lead the side that way.”

Earlier, opener Herschelle Gibbs smashed a run-a-ball 143 to help South Africa to a massive 306 for six in their 50 overs, reaching his 12th century in One-Day Internationals.

Gibbs, who initially struggled with his timing, hammered 19 fours and three sixes before departing in the 46th over, pulling seamer Jacob Oram to McMillan at deep mid-wicket.

South Africa had got off to a flying start, coasting to 113 for one after 19 overs, but were checked briefly by Scott Styris and the slow left-arm of Daniel Vettori, who conceded just 19 runs from the next eight overs before Gibbs broke the shackles.

Left-handed opener Graeme Smith blasted five fours in a quickfire 23, before top-edging a hook off Shane Bond to be well caught by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, making good ground running back toward the ropes.

Gibbs then shared 66 for the second wicket with Nicky Boje (29) and 67 with Kallis (33) as South Africa cruised through the middle overs without undue risk.

Gibbs was rarely at his crisp best in the early stages and enjoyed good fortune, twice edging Andre Adams narrowly past leg-stump and also surviving a concerted appeal for caught behind off the same bowler when he was on four.

But the longer he stayed at the crease, the more confident he became. He reached his 50 from 51 balls, including a six pulled over square leg off Oram.

Once he reached three figures, he really cut loose, immediately pulling Styris for six and next ball driving him powerfully through extra cover for four.

Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori was hammered for 20 in his final over, 19 of the runs taken by Gibbs.

All-rounder Klusener applied the finishing touch with an unbeaten 33 in 21 balls, flat batting Andre Adams for six over mid-on and smashing four further boundaries to take South Africa past 300.

Both teams had won once and lost once in their opening two games of the tournament but New Zealand’s need for victory was greater as they have refused to travel to Nairobi for their scheduled match against Kenya on Feb. 21.

Boucher — has he dropped

the 2003 World Cup?

Herschelle Gibbs, they say, dropped the 1999 World Cup. Mark Boucher may just have dropped the 2003 trophy yesterday.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was on 53 at The Wanderers when he offered the South African wicketkeeper a simple chance behind the stumps.

Boucher snatched eagerly at the ball and spilled it. A few hours and two cruel rain delays later, Fleming was completing an innings of a lifetime by hitting the winning runs through the off side.

The significance of Fleming’s unbeaten 134 was not lost on his teammates, who began jogging on to the field at the end to congratulate their captain.

Its significance will not be lost on Boucher either.

Boucher, after missing two catches and a stumping in the earlier win over Kenya, had taken a master-class from former Australia keeper Ian Healy on Friday. Healy is the holder of the record for test dismissals by a wicketkeeper with 395.

Boucher had maintained: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my keeping at the moment...People are allowed to have bad days and I had a bad day against Kenya.” Whether the demanding, sports-mad South African public will forgive him two bad days remains to be seen.

In 1999, Gibbs had caught Australia skipper Steve Waugh in the last game of the Super Six stage at Headingley but, starting to celebrate prematurely, somehow lost control of the ball.

Waugh had been on 56. He went on to make 120 not out. Sounds familiar?

Australia won the game by five wickets, met the South Africans again in a dramatic semifinal, tied but went through on countback. Days later, they were World Cup holders.

For a while, a rumor was accepted as fact, that Waugh had said to Gibbs that day: “You’ve gone and dropped the World Cup, mate.”

(Waugh later put the record straight, saying that he had merely told Gibbs that his mistake would cost South Africa that Headingley game).

Wounded India seek change

of fortune in Zimbabwe

A wounded Indian squad limped into Harare yesterday more concerned about the state of their World Cup campaign than their personal safety.

India play Zimbabwe in Harare tomorrow, a fixture that has gained importance for Saurav Ganguly’s side following their nine-wicket thrashing by Australia on Saturday.

“We disappointed ourselves and a lot of people at home,” vice captain Rahul Dravid told reporters, referring to India’s paltry total of 125 against Australia. “We expect criticism when we play like that.”

India were easy winners over the Netherlands in their opening match before crashing to the world champion Australians.

Teams need to win at least four of their six first round matches to be certain of qualifying for the Super Sixes, and while India should beat Namibia they will find the going tougher against England and Pakistan.

“All is not lost, there is a lot of cricket to be played and the test is to be able to lift yourself on the night,” Dravid said.

Dravid admitted the team do not know why their much-vaunted batsmen are struggling to find their form.

“If we knew what was going wrong we would correct it,” Dravid said.

“There is a lot of quality in the side, and it’s not that we’ve suddenly become bad batsmen. Sometimes there’s no perfect, clear-cut answer to these things. A good knock or a good net can turn it around.

“Sometimes it just boils down to working hard, but just being disappointed will not solve the problem.” (Agencies)