So near and yet again so far. For the second time in three days, the Black Caps were within grasp of achieving a breakthrough victory on their ill-fated tour of South Africa.
From the time Kyle Mills took Van Wyk's stumps out of the ground in the first over of the South African reply, New Zealand looked in command.
However, the old problem of a lack of quality bowling backup came back to haunt the Black Caps, as tail-ender Andre Nel steered them to an exciting last ball victory.
Needing 11 runs off three balls, Nel found the full and dead straight offerings of Mark Gillespie too easy to get away.
Gillespie continues to bowl with much less fire than he exhibited on his test debut in the short form of the game.
With only O'Brien waiting in the pace bowling wings, the barren years predicted by many in and out of the Black Caps set up may have arrived early.
Right now it seems like long ago that Craig McMillan was steering New Zealand to a Chappell-Hadlee whitewash in style with an unbelievable knock and Stephen Fleming's experience was helping guide New Zealand to a place at the World Cup Semi Finals.
The loss of a rash of experienced players over the last year, with Nathan Astle also retiring, has robbed New Zealand of hundreds of games worth of experience.
Ironically, it is those retirements and the injuries to Peter Fulton and Jacob Oram that handed two of New Zealand's heroes of the 1st One Day International (ODI) their chance.
Central Districts pair Jamie How and Mathew Sinclair played contrasting innings to help New Zealand to a solid score after they were inserted in a pitch that for the first 15 overs did everything.
After the early and needless loss of Lou Vincent - trying to hit twin sixes off Ntini - Brendon McCullum and How steadied the innings.
When McCullum departed, Scott Styris kept the score ticking over at one end, while How displayed the classical drives and powerful pulling that he so often delivers in State cricket. A powerful and innovative innings by Sinclair steered New Zealand close to 250.
South Africa's innings started shakily, as Mills reclaimed his spot as New Zealand's premier pace bowler in the absence of Bond.
His five-wicket haul included the prize wicket of Kallis, who was snaffled in the slips by Taylor.
A mid-innings recovery followed and eventual man-of-the-math DeVilliers got South Africa within sight. It was a match New Zealand should have won.
In hindsight the decision to play an extra batsman; Gareth Hopkins, who was bowled first ball and has now batted twice in one-dayers without scoring, was a mistake.
Dropping the bowler who most troubled South Africa in the Twenty-20 international; Jetan Patel, robbed New Zealand of some much needed variety.
Should Oram regain fitness in time for the 2nd ODI, Patel will likely force out one of either Gillespie or Chris Martin, who after the great test series, did not quite deliver in the 1st ODI.
For once though, New Zealand's batting is not being roundly condemned.
Daniel Vettori may have blamed this loss on some missed chances in the field, but the New Zealand bowling attack, while honest, just lacks the firepower required to scare top sides like the South Africans.
New Zealand 248/6 (B.McCullum 40, J.How 90, S.Styris 40, M.Sinclair 32 not out, S.Pollock 10-4-21-0) lost to South Africa 249/8 (G.Smith 44, A.DeVilliers 87, J.Duminy 46, K.Mills 10-2-25-5) by 2 wickets.
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