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Martin Guptill century leads Black Caps to commanding victory

Martin Guptill hit an unbeaten century as the Black Caps cruised to an eight-wicket win in the second one-day cricket global against South Africa in Potchefstrom to take the series to a third game decider.

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Guptill won the match with a boundary which also brought up his ninth ODI century and a fourth for 2015.

Bracewell, playing in his first One-day global in more than two years, took a career-best three for 31 with his accurate medium-pacers as the South African batsmen failed to come to terms with a slow pitch.

Fast bowler Doug Bracewell was the pick of the bowlers for the tourists as he returned figures of 3-31. The previous record of 114 had been set by Mark Greatbatch and Rod Latham – Tom’s father – in Auckland during the 1992 World Cup.

Milne removed both openers, Hashim Amla for eight and Morne van Wyk for two, and when Bracewell had Rossouw out to an easy catch to mid-off, New Zealand had South Africa 68-3 and in big trouble.

Guptill and Latham soon showed their opponents how to apply themselves on the slow-paced surface by sharing New Zealand’s highest opening partnership against South Africa.

Guptill shared a 126-run opening stand with Tom Latham, who contributed 64, after an impressive bowling display limited the Proteas to 204 all out, in which Farhaan Behardien top-scored with 70, in the final over of their innings.

“We knew we had to play above ourselves to get back in the series”.

The innings ended in farce when Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir were all run out, with Vernon Philander (30 not out) the common denominator at the other end.

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South Africa slumped to 107 for 5 in the 24th over when AB de Villiers also fell to a mistimed shot, chipping Grant Elliott to short midwicket after making 31.

Martin Guptill century leads Black Caps to commanding victory