New Zealand v South Africa

At Dunedin, February 25, 2004. New Zealand won by six wickets. Toss: New Zealand. This game was planned for the day before, when Smith won the toss and decided to field, but rain and ferocious wind prevented any play on a bitterly cold day. It was not much better 22 hours later when Fleming won the toss and also chose to field. After a slow start by South Africa, Boje and Rudolph shared a fifth-wicket stand of 84 off 75 balls, but a total of 259 was not enough on a good pitch. Marshall, who put on 126 for the third wicket with Styris, anchored the innings before Cairns made sure with a flurry of big hitting, including three sixes, towards the end. Victory meant New Zealand, 3-1 up, were guaranteed a share of the series. However, the game was perhaps of as much consequence to administrators as players. Debate over whether the first day's toss constituted the start of the match caused the ICC to declare in July that in future it should do so, and all one-day internationals abandoned after the toss should count in the records. This game did not. Under NZC regulations, if the match had started on the first day, it would have continued on the second, rather than being superseded by a new match and new toss. The fresh start enabled Pollock, unfit at the first toss, to play.

Man of the Match: H. J. H. Marshall.