Dramatic win for the South Africans …

Andre Nel hit the final ball of the match over cover to give South Africa a dramatic two-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international.

The Proteas required 11 off the final over to reach their target of 249 and the Kiwis looked in control with nine needed from the last three balls.

But Nel hit back-to-back boundaries through the covers off Mark Gillespie to draw the scores level and his chip into the off-side off the final ball brought up the single needed for victory.

Morne van Wyk was bowled by Kyle Mills before the Proteas had a run on the board.

South Africa struggled to find the gaps and Mills then dismissed Jacques Kallis with a fantastic ball that squared him up and induced a nick to Ross Taylor at slip leaving the hosts struggling on 2-9.

The Proteas recovered through Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers who took the score to 100 before Smith was controversially given out by the third umpire.

The South Africa skipper pulled a Scott Styris long-hop to deep mid-wicket where Chris Martin took a safe catch but replays proved inconclusive as to whether the New Zealander had touched the rope as he took the catch.

The third umpire gave Martin the benefit of the doubt and Smith was gone for 44.

South Africa looked to be cruising to victory until Daniel Vettori took a tremendous catch off his own bowling to remove De Villiers for 87 and make the score 4-172.

With South Africa under pressure, needing 63 from 48 balls, Jean-Paul Duminy smashed Styris for six over mid-wicket to ease the required run-rate.

Duminy's powerful left-hand hitting looked to be steering South Africa to victory before he skied Martin to mid-wicket for 44, leaving the Proteas needing 38 from 29 balls.

Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock were at the crease for the final overs, but when Pollock went for a big shot down the ground off Mills, Taylor took a good catch in the deep to dismiss the all-rounder for six.

Albie Morkel then edged Mills behind to Brendon McCullum, who took a fine low catch, without troubling the scorers to leave the hosts on 7-222, with 27 needed from 19 balls.

Gillespie's full toss was then dispatched through the on-side for four by Boucher to give South Africa hope.

Johan Botha dragged Mills down the ground to Lou Vincent who took a good catch, leaving the home side needing 11 from seven balls with two wickets remaining.

Mills finished with his first five-wicket bag in ODIs with the outstanding figures of 5-24 from 10 overs, with two maidens.

Styris dropped Nel off Gillespie with five balls remaining and the number 10 made them pay in the closing stages.

Earlier, Jamie How's career-best 90 helped New Zealand post 6-248 from its 50 overs.

Smith won the toss and fielded, which looked a good decision when Makhaya Ntini bowled Vincent for six through the gate to leave the tourists on 1-12.

Though Vettori's side found runs hard to come by at times, a pair of 40s from McCullum and Styris supported How's effort before some late hitting from Mathew Sinclair helped New Zealand post a competitive total.

Vincent fell after just one scoring shot, a six off Ntini over square leg, before McCullum and How shared a stand of 72 as the Kiwis, looking to bounce back after their thrashing in the Test series, asserted their authority.

Pollock kept the scoring rate down with a tidy spell of 0-21 from his 10 overs, which included four maidens.

Few magical moments.... chk out

Botha bowled McCullum for 40 which brought Styris to the crease.

With How playing an anchor role, Styris set about upping the rate with 40 from 45 balls before being caught by Botha off the bowling of Nel.

Taylor hit 20 off 22 balls as New Zealand looked to accelerate before Morkel had him caught by Nel, leaving the visitors on 195-4.

Nel bowled How with a superb inswinging yorker and then repeated the trick to dismiss Gareth Hopkins the very next ball to reduce the Kiwis to 6-223.

Mills kept out the hat-trick ball and he, along with Sinclair (32 from 23 balls), scored some quick runs late on to guide New Zealand to 6-248.

Nel ended with figures of 3-46 from 10 overs.

New Zealand innings
Vincent b Ntini 6 (13)
McCullum b Botha 40 (67)
How b Nel 90 (124)
Styris c Botha b Nel 40 (45)
Taylor c Nel b Morkel 20 (22)
Sinclair not out 32 (23)
Hopkins b Nel 0 (1)
Mills not out 9 (6)
Extras (lb 5, w 5, nb 1) 11
Total 248 (6 wickets; 50 overs)

FoW: 1-12 (Vincent, 3.4 ov), 2-84 (McCullum, 22.4 ov), 3-159 (Styris, 37.1 ov), 4-195 (Taylor, 43.2 ov), 5-223 (How, 47.3 ov), 6-223 (Hopkins, 47.4 ov)

Bowling
Pollock 10-4-21-0
Ntini 9-0-62-1 (1nb, 1w)
Nel 10-0-46-3 (3w)
Morkel 10-0-54-1 (1w)
Botha 9-0-44-1
Duminy 2-0-16-0

South Africa innings
van Wyk b Mills 0 (4)
Smith c Martin b Styris 44 (64)
Kallis c Taylor b Mills 1 (15)
de Villiers c & b Vettori 87 (103)
Duminy c sub (Patel) b Martin 46 (59)
Boucher not out 35 (37)
Pollock c Taylor b Mills 6 (5)
Morkel c McCullum b Mills 0 (2)
Botha c Vincent b Mills 6 (6)
Nel not out 10 (5)
Extras (lb 4, w 10) 14
Total 249 (8 wickets; 50 overs)

FoW: 1-0 (van Wyk, 0.4 ov), 2-9 (Kallis, 4.6 ov), 3-100 (Smith, 25.3 ov), 4-172 (de Villiers, 38.2 ov), 5-211 (Duminy, 45.1 ov), 6-220 (Pollock, 46.2 ov), 7-222 (Morkel, 46.5 ov), 8-238 (Botha, 48.5 ov)

Bowling
Mills 10-2-25-5 (2w)
Gillespie 10-3-50-0 (2w)
Martin 10-0-65-1 (2w)
Vettori 10-0-47-1 (3w)
Styris 10-0-58-1 (1w)