AUCKLAND: New Zealand crumbled under the withering pace of the South African bowlers and were unable to bat out their 50 overs in the third one-day international at Eden Park on Saturday.
Not even the showers which swept over Auckland throughout the day could save New Zealand as they struggled to 206 all out in the 47th over with the umpires ruling not enough time was lost to reduce the number of balls.
With South Africa holding an unbeatable 2-0 lead going into the final ODI, New Zealand had only pride to play for but found that was not enough to combat the pace of Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Marchant de Lange.
Aided by heavy cloud cover, Tsostobe (one for 36) and Steyn (0-28) softened up the batsmen before De Lange ripped through the middle order to finish with 4-46 from nine overs.
Faced with a barrage of deliveries around 145 kilometres (90 miles) per hour, the New Zealand batsmen were not allowed to settle.
Martin Guptill was dismissed cheaply while fellow opener Rob Nicol played cautiously for 12 off 40 deliveries before he was back in the pavilion.
After 19 overs New Zealand were struggling at less than three an over when Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson tried to lift the pace by cracking 13 off a Steyn over.
That forced Steyn out of the attack only to introduce the express deliveries of De Lange, who had McCullum caught by Faf du Plessis for 47 off his second delivery to have New Zealand 74 for three.
The attempt by Williamson and James Franklin to consolidate the innings lifted New Zealand to 105 before Williamson was run out for 22.
Colin de Grandhomme celebrated his first one-day international with a six to get off the mark and blazed away at a run a ball until he was run out by Albie Morkel for 36 and New Zealand were in trouble at 160 for five.
In the 42nd over De Lange claimed two wickets, first removing Franklin for 36, caught at short cover by Hamish Amla, who then moved to first slip where he caught Andrew Ellis two balls later.
In the following De Lange over Amla was at midwicket where he caught Nathan McCullum for 10, leaving spinner Robin Peterson to wrap up the innings with the wickets of Kyle Mills and Michael Bates.
