The south African Captain, AB de Villiers smashed unbeaten ton in the first One Day International against New Zealand which enabled them to win the encounter comfortably by six wickets.
The Black Caps scored 253 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the measured 50 overs and the Proteas reached the target by dispatching 254 after losing just four wickets in 45.2 overs.
AB de Villiers was unanimously declared ‘Player of the match’ for his brilliant innings of unbeaten 106 exhibited in the middle order.
The first match of the three ODIs was played at Westpac Stadium, Wellington on February 25, 2012.
Earlier, Brendon McCullum won the toss and preferred to bat but their openers were unable to produce a swift start as the first wicket of Martin Guptill was gone for 25 runs. The other opener Rob Nicol lost his wicket for 30 runs as the total reached at 58 when Brendon and Kane Williamson got together in the centre.
The duo consolidated the innings with concentration and chanceless strokes were displayed all around the ground while contributing 79 runs for the second wicket. Brendon was caught smartly by Robin Pieterson off Jacques Kallis for 56 on 67 balls with two sixes and even fours. Williamson was the fifth batsman who went back to the pavilion for 55 as the total touched 194 in 41 overs.
James Franklin played a positive knock of 32 and the Black Caps managed 253 runs by the end of the 50th over after losing 9 wickets.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne Morkal, Peterson and Kallis shared two wickets each as Dale Steyn held one.
The Proteas had a obnoxious start of their innings as their both seasoned openers, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith were gone with 17 runs on board. The miseries were added when their star performer Kallis was caught at square leg by Williamson off Doug Bracewell for 13.
The visitors were in deep trouble after losing their top three batsmen for 35 in 9.5 overs when Jean-Paul-Duminy and de Villiers associated themselves in the park. They remained determined and kept the score board moving as the first hundred of the innings was posted in the 25th over. They made a valuable contribution of 90 runs for the third wicket when Duminy was caught and bowled by Nicol at four runs short of his 16th fifty.
Faf du Plessis came in next as a de Villiers was going strong at the other end and achieved his fifty in the 31st over. The plan was crafted between the two and Plessis opted to attack and he started off with two boundaries in the 35th over while repeating the same in the 37th over.
AB de Villiers was demonstrating a calculated innings and geared up by punishing Nicol for consecutive sixes in the 40th over and blasted his 13th ton in the limited over games on the first ball of the 44th over. Plessis assaulted Bracewell for 6, 4, and 4 in the 44th over while jumping to his fourth fifty in the ODIs and stole the winning single on the second legal delivery of the 46th over.
The skipper remained unbeaten for 106 of even balls with the assistance of four towering sixes and 3 fours as Plessis was at the crease on 66 which comprised one six and 9 fours.
Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Bracewell and Nicol were the only bowlers to impress with one wicket each.
South Africa won the match authoritatively by a big margin of six wickets and is leading the series 1-0
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