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CAPE TOWN - New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori acclaimed South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs as the difference between the sides after his brilliant century gave the home team victory in their one-day cricket series here today.
Gibbs scored 119 from 101 balls with 10 fours and seven sixes
to give his team a five-wicket win with 28 balls to spare in the third one-day international for a 2-1 series win. South Africa won the test series 2-0.
"We were beaten by one man today, he played really well," Vettori said.
"That's one of the best one-day innings I've ever seen."
Gibbs mixed the orthodox with the innovative in a breathtaking innings but said he had not been unusually aggressive.
"I don't know if I had a go, the ball was just there to be hit," Gibbs said.
"It's nice when it comes off, especially in front of your home crowd.
"It's not often that you can get into the zone and play like that. If you hit a few in the middle early doors, you just get on that sort of a roll."
Gibbs also praised the Newlands groundstaff.
"I've got to thank the groundsman for producing one of the better wickets we've had here for a few years," he said.
"Combine that with a really nice day and it makes for a really good spectacle."
South African captain Graeme Smith was satisfied with his team's showing.
"Winning a home series is what everyone expects you to do, so it's fantastic to win the way we have done," Smith said.
"I'm very happy with the way the guys performed.
"It's about the intensity you play with, and today the intensity was there."
Smith, who scored 51, shared an opening stand of 173 with Gibbs as South Africa totalled 242 for five in reply to New Zealand's 238 for eight.
New Zealand slipped to 79-4 in the 22nd over before Mathew Sinclair, who top-scored with 73, steadied the innings.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn, playing his first match of the series, removed openers Brendon McCullum (0) and Lou Vincent (18) to reduce the visitors to 27 for two in the eighth over.
Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt trapped Jamie How (15) in front then paceman Andre Nel bowled Ross Taylor (3) off the edge of his bat.
Number six batsman Sinclair put on 49 for the fifth wicket with Scott Styris (60) before sharing partnerships of 56 and 43 with Jacob Oram (34) and Kyle Mills (11).
Sinclair was 26 not out when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off medium-pacer Shaun Pollock.
Sinclair was dismissed with the penultimate ball of the innings when Vettori (9 not out) played a limp drive to a delivery from Steyn, who fielded and broke the stumps at his end with Sinclair out of his ground.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand
L Vincent b Steyn 18
B McCullum c Gibbs b Steyn 0
J How lbw b Langeveldt 15
S Styris c Nel b Botha 60
R Taylor b Nel 3
M Sinclair run out 73
J Oram c Smith b Langeveldt 34
K Mills run out 11
D Vettori not out 9
M Gillespie not out 0
Extras (6lb, 2nb, 7w) 15
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 238
Fall: 7 (McCullum), 27 (Vincent), 68 (How), 79 (Taylor), 128 (Styris), 184 (Oram), 227 (Mills), 234 (Sinclair)
Bowling: S Pollock 10-2-26-0 (2w), D Steyn 9-0-50-2 (4w), A Nel 10-0-52-1 (1w), C Langeveldt 10-0-46-2 (2nb), J Botha 9-0-45-1, J Kallis 2-0-13-0
South Africa
G Smith c Gillespie b Vettori 51
H Gibbs c Mills b Vettori 119
J Kallis c McCullum b Vincent 30
A de Villiers c Sinclair b Mills 2
J Duminy c McCullum b Vettori 1
M Boucher not out 26
S Pollock not out 4
Extras (3b, 3lb, 1nb, 2w) 9
Total (for 5 wkts, 45.2 overs) 242
Falls: 173 (Smith), 187 (Gibbs), 190 (De Villiers), 191 (Duminy), 237 (Kallis)
Bowling: K Mills 10-0-34-1, M Gillespie 7-1-58-0 (1nb, 1w), J Oram 2-0-20-0, S Styris 8-0-37-0 (1w), D Vettori 10-1-33-3, J Patel 7.2-0-54-0, L Vincent 1-1-0-1.
Result: South Africa won by five wickets.
Series: South Africa won 2-1
- REUTERS