New Zealand's Craig McMillan (left) celebrates as South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs throws his bat after being dismissed during their Super Eights match in St. George's, yesterday. New Zealand won by five wickets. - Reuters

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada (Reuters):

NEW ZEALAND exploited favour-able early bowling conditions yesterday to defeat South Africa by five wickets and follow defending champions Australia into the World Cup semi-finals.

Sri Lanka have also now qualified for the final four as South Africa and England, who meet in Barbados on Tuesday, cannot both reach eight points.

On an overcast morning with a hint of rain in the air, Shane Bond and James Franklin took a wicket each in the first three overs and Craig McMillan picked up three cheap wickets near the end to restrict South Africa to 193 for seven.

The sun then came out, the pitch eased and New Zealand reached their target thanks to half-centuries from captain Stephen Fleming (50) and the prolific Scott Styris (56) with 10 balls remaining.

The 10 points New Zealand have now gathered qualifies them for the semi-finals on April 24 and 25. South Africa must beat England in their final Super Eights match to reach the semis.

After Fleming had won the toss and asked South Africa to bat, skipper Graeme Smith could make little of Bond's opening over, the second of the day.

He played and missed four in a row, including a no ball, before pushing the fifth to Jacob Oram at cover diving forward after scoring only a single.

Left-armer Franklin, a transformed bowler when given some assistance from the elements, jagged the final delivery of his second over back into A.B. de Villiers's pads and won an lbw decision before the opener had scored. It was de Villier's fourth duck of the tournament.

Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs beaten repeatedly outside their off-stumps, resurrected the innings. Both struck Oram over his head for sixes and they took the total to 52 when Kallis (22) mishit Daniel Vettori to Bond at mid-off.

Jeetan Patel, recalled in place of Mark Gillespie to partner Vettori, bowled a highly impressive spell of off-spin, varying his flight and pace cleverly in an initial spell of eight overs for 19 runs.

A subdued Gibbs reached his eighth World Cup half-century but was then out for 60 from 100 balls when he played McMillan's medium pace on to his stumps and the remaining batsmen got starts but failed to capitalise.

New Zealand lost Peter Fulton caught at slip off Makhaya Ntini for 16 and then Ross Taylor lbw to Andr Nel for 10 with the total on 42.

Fleming, dropped on 24 and 36, and Styris, let off on four, took the score to 120 before the Kiwi captain was out to the next ball after completing his half-century from 83 balls with six fours, edging Shaun Pollock to Mark Boucher standing up to the stumps.

Gaps

Styris, who averaged over a hundred before yesterday, knocked the ball into the gaps to reach his fifth score in excess of 50 in the tournament from 77 balls before he was caught by Gibbs off left-arm spinner Robin Peterson.

McMillan (38 not out) scored freely at the end, striking Peterson for a mighty six and hitting Ntini over his head for four.

"I think it's frustrating that conditions should play such a big part in a game," South Africa vice-captain Kallis said. "The toss was vital."

Fleming praised the performance of hisbowlers, including Patel who he said should have played in the last game against Sri Lanka which New Zealand lost by six wickets.

"There was good assistance in the first 10 to 15 overs and then the slow bowlers came on," he said. "We knew there was going to be assistance from the pitch."