The Kiwis' score of 221-8 did not seem to be enough, especially when South Africa got past 100 for the loss of two wickets, but a magnificent effort in the field began to turn the tide in their favour — and crucially put doubt in the minds of the South African players.
"The way we bowled and particularly the way we fielded probably got us through to victory," Vettori said. "The whole way through there was a sense of belief that if we could get into the South African middle order then we had a chance."
Vettori mentioned Martin Guptill's throw to run out AB de Villiers as key. Jacob Oram's spectacular running catch on the boundary to remove Jacques Kallis was equally crucial. Oram also took four wickets to claim the man-of-the-match award.
The win earned Vettori at least one more match before he hands over the captaincy of New Zealand's limited-overs team, and simultaneously ended Graeme Smith's tenure of the South African one-day team.
New Zealand now travels to Colombo where it faces Sri Lanka or England on Tuesday.
