South Africa's 93-run victory opens up VB Series

The VB Series now stands intriguingly poised after South Africa roared back into contention with a 93-run victory over New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. By picking up a bonus point the South Africans ensured that any two of the three teams in the competition could still qualify for the finals while it is further possible that the three sides could end level on 17 points after this week's final round of preliminary matches.

New Zealand swept aside Australia on Saturday as they have done on three previous occasions in the tournament. And on Sunday, South Africa swept aside New Zealand, just as they have done for the best part of two years with only the recent hiccup in Brisbane breaking the sequence.

It is a curiosity of this summer that while New Zealand have managed to match Australia, mentally and tactically, Stephen Fleming's side have struggled to break free of the headlock imposed on them by the South Africans who, in turn, tend to grind to a halt whenever they come up against Australia.

This weekend's matches emphasise the point, but perhaps New Zealand will count themselves just a little unfortunate to have come up against a side that was nearing desperation as it sought for any kind of form. The Kiwis, too, had to bat second on a pitch that, as Nicky Boje so adeptly demonstrated, took increasing turn as the evening wore on.

But for all that, New Zealand lost the match in the final 10 overs of the South African innings as Jonty Rhodes and Mark Boucher launched a furious onslaught on the New Zealand bowling. Together they added 86 in fewer than eight overs and as a result the South Africans were able to gallop from 142 for three after 40 overs to 253 for five at the end of the innings.

Rhodes made 55 off 54 balls but it was Boucher's thunderous hitting which brought him an unbeaten 57 off 32 balls which kicked the innings into overdrive. New Zealand would probably have settled for anything under 220 and you rather suspect that the South Africans would not have been entirely unhappy with a total around this mark. Boucher, however, transformed the game.

He has not had a particularly memorable tour by his own standards, but it seems that the soul-searching indulged in by the South Africans after their capitulation against Australia in Sydney had its effect and he was unstoppable as he lashed three fours and a couple of sixes during his spree.

So devastating was the hitting at the end that South Africa were able to get away with losing Herschelle Gibbs for a watchful 89 just as they started to launch their final push.

Quite whether New Zealand really believed they could reach the target is hard to tell, but their cause was not helped as the South African seamers quickly settled into a line and length as the first three wickets fell for 59. The South Africans were even able to allow Brendon McCullum a reprieve on 12 when Gibbs and Shaun Pollock left a soft catch to each other off Makhaya Ntini before Pollock lunged belatedly, and vainly, for the ball.

For this game the South African finally seemed to have dispensed with Lance Klusener (although an ill-defined rotation policy could still push then left-hander back into the side before the series is over) and gave themselves a double spin option in the shapes of Boje and Justin Ontong.

Ontong bowled only two overs, but in this instance you could say that at least South Africa were thinking along the right lines, while Boje revelled in the pressure created earlier by the seamers. With Fleming falling to Allan Donald for 43, Boje worked his way through the lower middle order Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore and Daniel Vettori all perished as they tried to get after him. Boje's four for 31 were not quite his best one-day figures, but near enough to keep his side happy.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 160 in 45.2 overs setting up what should be a cracking week of one-day cricket, starting in Melbourne on Tuesday when the Kiwis meet Australia with everything at stake for everyone.