New Zealand were struggling to maintain the tempo of runs in the accurate and to the line bowling of South Africa on day two of the first test against South Africa on Thursday. By the close of play the Kiwis were at 169 for four with Watling and Dean Brownlie holding the fort for the visitors but they still require 133 to erase the deficit.
Earlier, New Zealand limped to 33 for two at tea, still 269 runs adrift of the hosts who declared on 347 for eight. The Black Caps’ second innings got off to the worst possible start when opener Martin Guptill clipped a leg-side delivery from Dale Steyn straight to mid-wicket in the first over.
Captain Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson dug in to prevent the touring side from collapsing as they did when bowled out for 45 on the opening day, a performance described as a “humiliation” in the New Zealand media. Williamson should have been out in the eighth over as umpire Ian Gould turned down a massive lbw appeal from Vernon Philander who took five wickets in the first innings. Captain Graeme Smith’s failure to call for the review proved costly as replays showed that the decision would have been reversed. Two overs later Philander did call for a review for a caught behind, but replays were inconclusive and Williamson survived again. Williamson’s gritty innings did end in the penultimate over before tea as Jacques Kallis had him caught at second slip for 15 with the score on 29. McCullum stood firm to reach the interval on 17 not out. South Africa, resuming after lunch on 335 for six, looked to increase the run rate and AB de Villiers struck a fine off-drive from Chris Martin to the fence.
But De Villiers was bowled by Martin for 67 and the innings lasted just eight more deliveries before Smith called for the declaration after Robin Peterson had also been bowled by Martin.
New Zealand bowled better in the morning session and made the ideal start when Trent Boult forced Alviro Petersen to play on after adding just three runs to his overnight score of 103. Early morning rain had cleared two hours before the start of play, but the ominous grey skies remained for much of the morning and De Villiers and Faf du Plessis had to survive an awkward period in which the pitch offered the seamers lateral movement.
Scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND 1st innings 45
SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings 347
NEW ZEALAND 2nd innings
MJ Guptill c Amla b Steyn 0
BB McCullum* lbw b Peterson 51
KS Williamson c Petersen b Kallis 15
DG Brownlie not out 69
DR Flynn c †de Villiers b Kallis 14
BJ Watling† not out 10
EXTRAS (b 1, lb 8, w 1) 10
TOTAL 169
TO BAT JEC Franklin, DAJ Bracewell, JS Patel, TA Boult, CS Martin
FALL OF WICKETS 1-0 (Guptill, 0.6 ov), 2-29 (Williamson, 17.4 ov), 3-118 (McCullum, 31.1 ov), 4-155 (Flynn, 43.6 ov)
BOWLING
DW Steyn 14-2-38-1, VD Philander 13-5-53-0, M Morkel 12-4-29-0, JH Kallis 6-1-19-2, RJ Peterson 7-2-21-1
Toss New Zealand, who chose to bat
Player of the match tba
Umpires IJ Gould (England) and RJ Tucker (Australia)
TV umpire HDPK Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)
Match referee DC Boon (Australia)
Reserve umpire S George
