AB de Villiers remained unbeaten on 47 while Albie Morkel made a breezy 40 as South Africa produced a clinical performamnce to beat New Zealand by 13 runs in a Group E Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup in Bridgetown (Barbados).
De Villiers played sensibly for his 39 balls while Albie Morkel bulldozed the South African attack to all parts of the ground during his 18-ball knock to share 72 runs off just 38 deliveries for the fourth wicket and propel South Africa to 170 for four.
Chasing 171 for victory, New Zealand batters found themselves in trouble against the disciplined South African attack, which was backed by some extraordinary fielding and eventually could manage 157 for seven.
New Zealand's run chase started on a disastrous note as Brendon McCullum failed yet again.
Brendon McCullum was spectacularly caught by Gibbs at cover of the innings' fifth ball from Charl Langeveldt.
Jesse Ryder (33) and Martin Guptil (18), however, got the Kiwi innings on tract with a 44-run second-wicket stand but Johan Botha came up with wickets in consecutive overs to put brakes on New Zealand scoring.
Botha first accounted for Guptil and then fooled Ryder with a flighted off-spinner to give upper hand to the Proteas.
Ross Taylor (19), Gareth Hopkins (18), Scott Styris (13) and Jacob Oram (0) did very little to help their side's cause as New Zealand lost wickets in a heap towards the end.
Nathan MCCullum (26 not out off 17) and skipper Daniel Vettori (10 not out) did try their level best in the dying stages but it was not enough to take their side home.
Langeveldt (2/39), Morne Morkel (2/27) and Botha (2/23) shared six Kiwi between them.
Earlier, South Africa rode on cameos from de Villeirs Morkel to post the more-than-competitive 170 on the board.
Albie Morkel hit as many as five sixes -- three of Southee's in the 19th over -- during his 18-ball stay, while de Villiers decorated his innings with a boundary and two lofty hits over the fence.
Opting to bat, captain Graeme Smith (14) and Jacques Kallis (31 off 26) gave a brisk start to the South African innings with a 40-run opening stand that came off just 29 balls before Tim Southee struck in his opening over.
Smith was caught by Martin Guptil off Southee at the square-leg boundary and then 15 runs later Kallis fell to a blinder of a catch from Southee at third-man off Jacob Oram.
Herschelle Gibbs made a quickfire 24-ball 30 before he was pounced by Brendon McCullum of brother Nathan McCullum.
Nathan McCullum (1/35), Southee (1/39) and Jacob Oram (1/22) picked up a wicket each for New Zealand. PTI
