4 Mar 2012

South Africa sweep New Zealand ODI series

7:01 am on 4 March 2012

Paceman Marchant de Lange picked up four wickets on his one-day international debut as South Africa completed a 3-nil clean sweep against New Zealand with a five-wicket victory in the third and final ODI in Auckland last night.

South Africa's bowlers bundled out New Zealand for 206 in 47 overs at Eden Park.

Pace bowler Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe pegged New Zealand back with some hostile fast bowling at the start and the hosts struggled for momentum from there on.

The 21-year-old de Lange extracted good pace and bounce from the track as the Blackcaps lost wickets at regular intervals.

A rare bright spark was a 55-run stand between James Franklin and debutant Colin de Grandhomme for the fifth wicket but De Grandhomme, who hit three sixes and a four in his 36-ball knock, was run out after some athletic fielding by the visitors.

Kane Williamson was earlier dismissed in the same fashion.

Hashim Amla scored 76 as South Africa reached their target with 40 deliveries to spare.

Amla hit seven boundaries in his knock before he mistimed a pull shot to be caught by Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum, giving seamer Kyle Mills his 200th wicket in ODIs.