BLACKCAPS 230 all out in 45.1 overs (Luke Ronchi 99, Tom Latham 29, Dean Brownlie 24, Imran Tahir 37-2) lost to South Africa 236-4 in 48.1 overs (AB de Villiers 89*, JP Duminy 58*, Trent Boult 40-2) by six wickets.
Two key partnerships defined this match, with Luke Ronchi and Trent Boult making a record 74 for the 10th wicket to lift the BLACKCAPS innings into the area of respectability, but it was never enough as the Proteas key partnership of AB de Villiers and JP Duminy saw their side to a win, after a few mid-innings wobbles.
Despite some accurate bowling and determined fielding, the BLACKCAPS lack of runs on the board was their undoing and leaves them with some clear work-ons for round two on Friday.
Boult got the defence off to the perfect start removing Quinton de Kock for nine, caught by Tom Latham, with his first ball. He followed that by nabbing Faf du Plessis for eight, caught behind by Ronchi.
After the opening spells, Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum proceeded to turn the screws on the scoring, rattling through their overs in miserly fashion. Corey Anderson accounted for Rilee Rossouw, caught by Dean Brownlie for 26 when he was looking set. Hashim Amla had scratched around on the Bay Oval pitch, never really reaching his fluent best before, Kyle Mills drew a false shot and he played on for 38 in the 25th over.
Corey Anderson celebrates the wicket of Rilee Rossouw.
The pressure from the bowlers combined with tight, athletic fielding slowly turned the screws on the Proteas as de Villiers and Duminy played out the consolidation period and the run rate required reached six an over. The pair were equal to the task however, and de Villiers (89*), then Duminy (58*) brought up their half centuries as they cruised to the win with nine balls to spare by six wickets.
Earlier, Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill opened the BLACKCAPS innings and the former got the innings off to a crisp start, while the latter took a more cautious approach. Neesham became the first of Proteas keeper Quinton de Kock's six victims, getting an edge to a lifting Vernon Philander delivery and he was gone for 16. Guptill, who never seemed to get to grips with the surface, went next to the same combination for five from 29 deliveries.
Brendon McCullum attempted to take control of the innings with consecutive sixes off Philander and was putting together a partnership with Brownlie, before the latter was adjudged caught behind to Imran Tahir on a DRS review for 24 from 29. Brendon McCullum and Anderson were dismissed from consecutive Morne Morkel deliveries, bringing Ronchi to the crease to join Latham, who looked extremely at home in the middle.
The pair put on 65 for the sixth wicket before Latham was stumped from the part-time bowling of Duminy, playing the ball into his pads, then ricocheting to de Kock, who promptly ran him out.
Mount Maunganui's Trent Boult was in dashing form with the bat as well as the ball.
Vettori, Nathan McCullum all came and went before Boult joined Ronchi. Boult frustrated the bowlers with his backing away style, but the Proteas failed to find the right line to him, allowing him to start hitting boundaries. At the other end Ronchi was taking control, playing the attack all around the park, racing past 50 then closing in on his hundred, taking the innings over 200 in the process.
The pair ended with the BLACKCAPS highest ever 10th wicket ODI partnership of 74, but Ronchi was denied his richly deserved maiden ton that had kept his team in the game, edging Steyn to de Kock on 99.
