Cairns joins all-round legends

New Zealand beat South Africa by nine wickets in the second cricket Test on Monday to take an unbeatable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The Black Caps, who led by 299 runs on the first innings, dismissed South Africa for 349 in its second innings leave itself only 51 runs to win.

Captain Stephen Fleming blazed 31 runs from 11 balls to secure the victory.

Earlier, team-mate Chris Cairns became the sixth player in Test history to score 3,000 runs and take 200 wickets.

To play well here and get our first win at home is very exciting for the team New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming

The New Zealand all-rounder and Chris Martin combined to destroy South Africa's tail after they resumed the day at 277 for six.

Cairns claimed three of the four visitors' wickets to fall on the final day to end the innings with three for 63,

He passed the 3,000-run mark with his 158 in New Zealand's first innings.

Black Caps bowling hero Martin continued to enjoy fantastic form, taking his fifth wicket of the innings and 11th for the match when he had Shaun Pollock caught at first slip for 10.

He finished with figures of five for 104.

It's very disappointing, it all went wrong for us on the second morning Proteas captain Graeme Smith

Mark Richardson began the chase for New Zealand with Michael Papps (eight not out), but was caught by Nicky Boje off Makhaya Ntini after scoring 10.

Fleming stepped in and comfortably guided the Black Caps to victory, sealing the win with a straight six off Boje.

New Zealand have now beaten South Africa four times in 29 Tests, with the effort here the first at home in 12 matches since 1931-32.

The next hurdle for New Zealand is a first series win when the third and final Test begins in Wellington on Friday.

The first Test in Hamilton was drawn.

New Zealand: M H Richardson, M H W Papps, S P Fleming (Capt) S B Styris, C D McMillan, C L Cairns, J D P Oram, B B McCullum (Wkt) D L Vettori, C S Martin, D R Tuffey.

South Africa: G C Smith (Capt), H H Gibbs, J A Rudolph, J H Kallis G Kirsten, N D McKenzie, M V Boucher (Wkt), S M Pollock, N Boje D J Terbrugge, M Ntini.