South Africa Beat New Zealand by 5-wickets

Centurion: South Africa have won the match by 5 wickets, having finished with 217 for 5 in just 41.1 overs

This win will go a long way in helping them shrug off the shocking defeat to Sri Lanka in the opener. The Proteas lost their skipper early but Hashim Amla and Jaques Kallis steadied the ship, adding 52 for the second wicket.

That was followed by a brilliant 70 off 76 balls from AB de Villiers who ensured he was there till the end to take South Africa home. New Zealand would look back at this match and think they were about 40 runs short

South Africa, led by Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell with the ball and AB de Villiers with the bat, recovered from their opening-game loss to beat New Zealand in Centurion.

New Zealand struggled to put up runs after being put in under slightly overcast conditions, with van der Merwe starring with ten cunning overs while Parnell claimed five wickets.

Ross Taylor played a responsible innings that gave New Zealand stability after they were reduced to 92 for 3, but losing their last seven wickets for 51 was a crime.

With this win, impossible without de Villiers' cool half-century, Group B is now wide open with England yet to play a match.

Wayne Parnell is adjudged the Man of the Match for his 5 for 57 which was instrumental in restricting New Zealand to this small total.

Earlier, Proteas fared better in their second 2009 ICC Champions Trophy outing by restricting New Zealand to 214 all out off 47.5 overs at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

The African suffered a surprise 55-run loss to Sri Lanka in a rain-shortened opening match of the two-week tournament at the same ground two days ago and need a win over the 'Black Caps' to stay in contention for a semi-finals spot.

Once again South Africa skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and once again he opted to field on an early season track that gave the spinners some assistance in warm, overcast conditions.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori stressed the need to build partnerships, but his plea fell largely on deaf ears with the 71-run stand between Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott a notable exception.

Taylor top scored with 72 off 106 balls before missing a low full toss and being trapped leg before by revitalised Wayne Parnell, who claimed four other wickets.

After a fruitless time against Sri Lanka, spinner Roelof van der Merwe impressed and took two wickets on a pitch he said would give South Africa a good chance of realising a 4.30-runs-per-over target.

Brief score:
New Zealand: 214 (Taylor 72, Parnell 5-57)
South Africa: 217 for 5 (de Villiers 70*)
Result: South Africa won by 5-wickets
Man of the match: Wayne Parnell (South Africa)