(MENAFN- Arab Times) Acentury from Hashim Amla laid the foundation for home success on Wednesday as South Africa beat New Zealand by 20 runs to win their opening one-day international at Centurion.
Amla displayed the form that had him rated the world's best batsman as he mastered the bowling on a slow track and scored 124 for South Africa to open with 304 for seven off their 50 overs. New Zealand kept up with the required run rate for most of their chase but lost wickets at key intervals and were bowled out for 284 in the 49th over of the first of a three-match series.
Amla scored his 21st ODI century off 126 balls and featured in a 185-run partnership for the second wicket with Rilee Rossouw, who tempered his usual aggressive style to build a steady innings before being bowled in the 42nd over for 89. It proved a positive start after New Zealand had won the toss and sent the hosts into bat.
But a chance of a much bigger score, on the same pitch where they lost to New Zealand in a Twenty20 international on Sunday, disappeared as South Africa lost five wickets in their last eight overs.
South Africa made an immediate breakthrough on the New Zealand batting as Dale Steyn had Luke Ronchi caught behind at the end of the first over after seeing two earlier deliveries dropped. The second ODI is in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA
M. van Wyk c McCullum b McClenaghan """"..16
H. Amla b Milne """"""""""""""""".124
R. Rossouw b McClenaghan """""""""""89
A. de Villiers c Latham b Milne """"""""""..9
D. Miller c Milne b Neesham """"""""""".14
F. Behardien run out (McClenaghan) """""""15
D. Wiese run out (McClenaghan) """"""""..14
V. Philander not out """"""""""""""""..0
Extras (b4, lb4, w15) """"""""""""""".23
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) """"""""""""".304
Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Van Wyk), 2-231 (Rossouw),
3-252 (De Villiers), 4-258 (Amla), 5-286 (Miller)
Bowling: McCullum 5-0-29-0 (1w), Milne 10-0-51-2
(5w), McClenaghan 10-1-72-2 (1w), Neesham 7-0-
47-1 (3w), Sodhi 10-1-55-0, Elliott 4-0-23-0 (1w),
Munro 4-0-19-0
Did not bat: D. Steyn, K. Rabada, Imran Tahir
NEW ZEALAND
T. Latham lbw b Philander """""""""""".60
L. Ronchi c Amla b Steyn """""""""""""..1
K. Williamson c sub (Elgar) b Imran Tahir """".47
M. Guptill c Miller b Wiese """""""""""".25
G. Elliott c Miller b Philander """"""""""""4
J. Neesham c Van Wyk b Wiese """"""""".41
C. Munro lbw b Imran Tahir """"""""""""33
N. McCullum c Behardien b Rabada """""""10
A. Milne not out """"""""""""""""""15
M. McClenaghan b Steyn """""""""""""16
I. Sodhi run out (Philander) """"""""""""..0
Extras (b5, lb15, nb2, w10) """"""""""""32
Total (48.1 overs) """""""""""""""".284
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Ronchi), 2-107 (Williamson),3-148 (Guptill), 4-156 (Elliott), 5-158 (Latham), 6-229 (Neesham), 7-243 (Munro), 8-251 (McCullum), 9-283 (McClenaghan)
Bowling: Steyn 9-0-50-2 (1w), Philander 10-1-51-2 (3w), Rabada 9.1-0-49-1 (2nb, 6w), Imran Tahir 10-0-40-2, Wiese 7-0-63-2, Behardien 3-0-11-0
Result: South Africa won by 20 runs
Series: South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0
Man of match: Hashim Amla (RSA)
Toss: New Zealand
Umpires: Johan Cloete (RSA), Ian Gould (ENG)
TV umpire: Adrian Holdstock (RSA)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)
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