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Proteas keen for clean sweep

Cape Town - The Proteas will not be making the mistake of focusing on the Test series when they play their final "dead rubber" ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday.

The South Africans have already clinched the three-match one-day series after winning the second match convincingly by six wickets in Napier on Wednesday, taking an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

But many fans can be forgiven for being a tad worried that the Proteas will take their foot off the pedal ahead of the three-match Test series, which starts next Wednesday in Dunedin.

It is after all a very important series for coach Gary Kirsten's charges. Should they win the series 3-0, they will not only become the No 1-ranked Test team but also be R1,3 million richer.

Also, in their recent one-day series against Sri Lanka they let the tourists regain some lost pride by losing the last two games after taking an early 3-0 series lead.

However, despite the obvious importance of the Test series ahead and with the ODI series already in the bag, fast bowler Dale Steyn has assured fans that they will be all business in the final 50-overs clash on Saturday.

"No (our) minds are firmly on this last one-day game," Steyn said via an audio clip from Cricket South Africa.

"I think it's fair to say that as South Africans in the past we've been known to wrap up a series and kind of take our foot off the pedal.

"So we want to come out here and win 3-0," said Steyn.

Steyn said they will go in with the mindset that it's a very important clash, which may help them in future "crunch" games.

"We're looking at the future and (if) it comes down to crunch games this could be the type of game that could be a crunch game for us.

"Rather than just letting the momentum slip away into the Test series, we really want to make a proper dent."

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