St George’s: New Zealand exploited early conditions they could have imported from their native land to restrict South Africa to 193 for seven in their World Cup Super Eight match on Saturday.

Captain Stephen Fleming, whose team needs only one more win to ensure a semi-final spot, won a rare toss and asked the South Africans to bat under an overcast sky with rain in the air.

His opening bowlers Shane Bond and James Franklin responded by taking a wicket apiece in the first three overs and Jeetan Patel followed up with a splendid spell of thoughtful off-spin in the middle of the innings.

Craig McMillan took three cheap wickets at the end, including that of a subdued Herschelle Gibbs who completed his eighth World Cup half-century but was then bowled for 60 off 100 deliveries.

Bond, moving the ball late at a lively pace, beat skipper Graeme Smith four times in his opening over and was duly rewarded when the South African skipper on one pushed the fifth delivery to Jacob Oram diving forward at cover.

Left-armer Franklin also relished the conditions, moving the ball back into AB de Villiers to dismiss the opener leg-before for a duck.

Jacques Kallis and Gibbs were both beaten repeatedly outside the off-stump before Franklin was rested in favour of Jacob Oram.

Oram, also getting some movement off the seam, started with two maidens before the batsmen hit a six apiece off the medium-pacer.

They had added 49 for the third wicket when Kallis (22) mishit Daniel Vettori to Bond moving to his left at mid-off.

After Gibbs’ dismissal, Ashwell Prince (37) and Mark Boucher (16) were both caught in the deep off McMillan and Andrew Hall (17) perished in Bond’s final spell in the same manner.

Bond finished with two for 26 while Patel, whose first eight overs cost only 19 runs, had figures of 10-1-36-0.