Shaun Pollock scored a half-century to steady South Africa's batting in the second one-day international against New Zealand on Friday.

South Africa totalled 209-9 after winning the toss and choosing to bat. New Zealand need to win on Friday to keep the three-match series alive.

Pollock's 52 was the home side's top score and South Africa would have struggled to avoid being dismissed for a sub-100 total without a stand of 89 between Mark Boucher (48) and Pollock.

Kyle Mills and Mark Gillespie kept the pressure on for New Zealand by taking three wickets each.

Medium pacer Mills struck the first blows for the visitors when he had Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith both caught in the slip cordon, both for nought, with deliveries that swung. That reduced South Africa to 5-2 in the third over, and they dwindled to 66-5 in the 22nd over before Boucher and Pollock rode to the rescue.