Boeta Dippenaar's unbeaten 44 steered South Africa to a five-wicket win with two balls to spare in the first one-day international against New Zealand on Friday.

Dippenaar and Jacques Rudolph mounted a rescue act with a stand of 60 after South Africa fell to 149-2 in their chase for 226 runs for victory.

Rudolph was caught and bowled by Scott Styris for 24 as South Africa were 17 runs short of their target.

Mark Boucher then came and went for his second nought of the tour, leading to a tense finale.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith had led from the front with a fine innings of 72.

He enjoyed an opening stand of 86 with Herschelle Gibbs (43) but the introduction of left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori in the 16th over slowed the scoring rate.

Vettori struck first when a well flighted delivery caught the edge of Gibbs's defensive bat and Brendon McCullum snapped up a fine catch behind the stumps.

Smith was bowled by Chris Cairns and Jacques Kallis (26) went in the next over leg before wicket to Vettori bringing Dippenaar and Rudolph together.

New Zealand had scored 225 for eight thanks to a fifth-wicket stand of 91 from Styris (60) and Cairns (58) after struggling at 79-4.

South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini was involved in four of the first five New Zealand wickets to fall.

Ntini produced a fine pick-up and throw to run out skipper Stephen Fleming for 30 before he removed debutant Michael Papps for 14 and Hamish Marshall for seven, both caught behind by Boucher.

Ntini also took an awkward catch on the extra-cover boundary to dismiss Styris off the bowling of Andre Nel.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand:
M.Papps c Boucher b Ntini           14
S.Fleming run out                          30
H.Marshall c Boucher b Ntini          7
S.Styris c Ntini b Nel                    60
C.McMillan c Boucher b Klusener  9
C.Cairns b Nel                             58
J.Oram c Nel b Klusener              15
B.McCullum not out                     16
D.Vettori run out                            6
K.Mills not out                                1

Extras (b-1 lb-3 nb-1 w-4) 9

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 225

Fall of wickets: 1-45 2-52 3-55 4-79 5-170 6-191 7-202 8-222

Did not bat: D.Tuffey

Bowling: Pollock 10-0-33-0, Ntini 10-1-41-2, Nel 10-1-42-2, Klusener 9-0-39-2, Peterson 8-0-42-0, Kallis 3-0-24-0

South Africa:
G.Smith b Cairns                         72
H.Gibbs c McCullum b Vettori    43
J.Kallis lbw b Vettori                   26
B.Dippenaar not out                    44
J.Rudolph c & b Styris                24
M.Boucher b Tuffey                      0
S.Pollock not out                          5

Extras (b-2 lb-4 w-6) 12

Total (for five wickets, 49.4 overs) 226

Fall of wickets: 1-86 2-149 3-149 4-209 5-215

Did not bat: L.Klusener, R.Peterson, M.Ntini, A.Nel

Bowling: Tuffey 8.4-0-34-1, Mills 7-0-42-0, Oram 10-1-44-0, Vettori 10-1-37-2, Styris 10-1-35-1, Cairns 4-0-28-1 (w-1)

Result: South Africa won by five wickets