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Will he be smiling after the one-day series? South African captain Hansie Cronje shows the spoils from the just completed three-test series.

When Bob Woolmer started his coaching association with the South African cricket side, five seasons ago, it began on a seven-match losing streak. Now he is poised to depart on a winning run of similar size.

Englishman Woolmer will bow out from coaching South Africa at the end of the World Cup, where the Proteas hope to give him the ultimate farewell present.

For now they are creating all the right stepping stones with the recent wins over West Indies and now a 1-0 test series win over New Zealand, completed in Wellington yesterday. Woolmer began his test coaching career in 1994 with a loss to New Zealand after six one-day defeats in Pakistan.

He said New Zealand should not be too despondent about yesterday's loss with injured Stephen Fleming, Chris Cairns, and Craig McMillan missing.

``They showed a good degree of fight and stuck to their task pretty well in some tough positions. We have a pretty good side, which is playing very well at the moment.''

New Zealand captain Dion Nash said he believed his players would learn from the relentless and ruthless way the Proteas played the game with bat and ball. ``South Africa showed what a top, tough side they are and we know that's the standard we have to aim for.''

New Zealand at least avoided the ignominy of an innings defeat on the final day yesterday and captured two bonus wickets with South Africa needing just 16 to win.

As the last rites were completed, two records were set. Simon Doull finished unbeaten on 38 to overtake his previous best, 31 not out.

More significantly, Proteas' opening bat Gary Kirsten, in his brief second innings of 12 not out, became the leading run scorer in South African history with 3476, overtaking Bruce Mitchell who had scored 3471 runs from a 42-test career spanning from 1929 to 1949.