South Africans score historic victory

New Zealand 288 and 239

South Africa 440 and 89-3

South Africa win by 7 wickets South Africa beat New Zealand by seven wickets to win the third and final Test yesterday and become only the second team to win a three-match series after losing the first game. In 1888, W G Grace led England to a 2-1 win over Australia.

South Africa's captain, Hansie Cronje, struck the winning boundary off the left-arm spinner Matthew Hart after both the openers, Gary Kirsten and Rudolf Steyn, were dismissed with the total on 37 and Daryll Cullinan departed after a brisk 28 from just 24deliveries.

New Zealand began the final day still 31 runs adrift of South Africa on 121 for 4 and were indebted to Stephen Fleming, 53, and Simon Doull, 25, for helping them avoid an innings defeat.

Fleming was given a "life" when he had scored nine. He was given out after an appeal for a catch by Cronje at silly point. When he was nearing the pavilion, the South African umpire, Barry Lambson, recalled him.

New Zealand - First innings: 288 (S P Fleming 79, K R Rutherford 56, B M McMillan 4-65, S Jack 4-69)

South Africa - First innings: 440 (W J Cronje 112, D J Richardson 109, G Kirsten 64)

New Zealand - Second innings (overnight: 121 for 4)

B A Young c Kirsten b McMillan 51

D Murray lbw b de Villiers 3

A C Parore c Eksteen b de Villiers 34

M D Crowe c Richardson b McMillan 5

*K R Rutherford lbw b McMillan 26

S A Thomson run out 16

S P Fleming c Richardson b de Villiers 53

M N Hart c Eksteen b Jack 7

S B Doull c Rhodes b de Villiers 25

D K Morrison lbw b de Villiers 1

C Pringle not out 0

Extras (lb-6 b-5 w-1 nb-6) 18

Total 239

Fall: 1-19 2-63 3-73 4-115 5-131 6-154 7-173 8-224 9-230

Bowling: de Villiers 28.1-9-61-5 (w1,nb1); Jack 19-7-50-1; McMillan 25-9-52-3 (nb5); Cronje 7-3-15-0; Eksteen 31-16-46-0; Kirsten 1-0-4-0.

South Africa - Second innings G Kirsten lbw b Hart 25

R Steyn c Doull b Thomson 12

J Commins not out 10

D J Cullinan hit wkt b Hart 28

*W J Cronje not out 14

Extras 0

Total (for 3) 89

Fall: 1-37 2-37 3-69

Bowling: Morrison 4-1-5-0, Hart 15.2-2-51-2, Thomson 12-3-33-1.