Kiwis slump to hefty loss

Gibbs' 89 was the mainstay of the SA effort

VB Series, Match 9: New Zealand 160 all out (45.2 overs) lose to South Africa (253-5) by 93 runs

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South Africa grabbed a big win in Adelaide against a tired-looking New Zealand side to relegate Australia to the bottom of the VB Series table once again.

The bonus point secured by the 93-run win takes Shaun Pollock's side four points ahead of Steve Waugh's men. New Zealand are still in top spot, with 17 points.

South Africa batted first, starting slowly but profiting from a late injection of runs from Mark Boucher and Jonty Rhodes to reach 253-5.

Boucher and Rhodes added 86 for the fifth wicket in just 45 balls after coming together in the 42nd over.

Wicket-keeper Boucher was particularly damaging, scoring 57 from 32 balls, with an innings that included three boundaries and two sixes.

  Tournament table

NZ: P6, W4, L2 BP1, Points:17

SA: P6, W3, L3 BP1, Points:13

Aus: P6, W2, L4, BP1, Points: 9

(BP = bonus points)

New Zealand lost Nathan Astle for a golden duck in the first over, and then Lou Vincent was caught at mid-off after failing to pick Shaun Pollock's slower ball.

Brendon McCullum's 47-ball innings was ended when he was plum lbw to Jacques Kallis for 29 before the run rate dived even further.

Nicky Boje then took four wickets as the tail caved in. Stephen Fleming topscored with 43, but it was a laboured effort, taking 80 deliveries to compile.

South Africa also started their innings badly with Gary Kirsten caught behind for a duck off Shane Bond's bowling in the second over.

Partnership

Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs (89) batted sensibly in a 65-run second wicket partnership, before Chris Cairns had Kallis caught behind.

Neil McKenzie was caught behind off Daniel Vettori for five to leave the South Africans at 93-3 in the 27th over, at a run-rate just above three per over.

It was then time for the runs to flow. Gibbs and Rhodes put on a 63-run fourth-wicket partnership, then Boucher joined Rhodes and the pair swung at almost everything.

Cairns' last two overs went for 29, and Bond's final two overs cost 27 runs.