New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming hit a whirlwind 31 to ease the home side to a nine-wicket victory on the final afternoon of the second test against South Africa yesterday.
Set a victory target of just 51 runs after dismissing South Africa for 349, Fleming came to the crease when Mark Richardson was caught by Nicky Boje for 10 after misjudging a Makhaya Ntini bouncer and wasted little time polishing off the total.
He hit 17 runs off Ntini's next over and his 31 contained six fours and a six to pick up his 20th win in 57 matches as captain, but first since New Zealand beat India in Hamilton in December 2002.
The hosts lead the three-match series 1-0 after a drawn opening test in Hamilton and the sides conclude the series in the final match starting on Friday in Wellington.
The victory was New Zealand's first against South Africa on home soil and just their fourth in 29 encounters, although Fleming was quick to put it into perspective.
"Each time we do something special, it has the same characteristic," he said. "Certainly England [a 2-1 series win in 1999] was great but the nature of this beast is that we haven't done it before at home against South Africa.
"That's a testament to the quality of the team we're playing and how good they've been for some time. So to knock them over at home for the first time is great."
Earlier, all-rounder Chris Cairns claimed his 200th test wicket to help dismiss the Proteas in the first session of the final day.
Recalled fast-medium bowler Chris Martin also played a key role, removing Shaun Pollock to register his second five-wicket haul of the match.
Despite a heroic knock of 154 not out by Jacques Rudolph, New Zealand always looked in control of the outcome once they had compiled a daunting 595 first innings total.
After scoring his 3,000th test run on his way to a brutal 158 on Saturday, Cairns picked up his landmark wicket when Boje edged to Brendon McCullum behind the stumps.
Trailing by 299 after the first innings, South Africa resumed on 277 for six and quickly lost Pollock when he edged a rampant Martin to Fleming at first slip for 10.
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