South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten cut loose to score a superb century and put the Proteas in a strong position against New Zealand at stumps on the second day of the first Test on Thursday.
Shortly before tea South Africa were bowled out for 459 after starting the day on 279 for four, Kirsten top-scoring with 137.
New Zealand were 102 for two in reply at close, with opener Michael Papps notching a debut half-century off 114 balls including 11 fours.
Kirsten’s century, the 21st of his career, came after 277 minutes off 192 balls, with 14 fours. He survived a scare just before reaching his century when Chris Cairns dropped a relatively simple catch.
After reaching the 100 mark, Kirsten raced on, hitting New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori for two fours and a six off one over.
Vettori’s revenge came in the next over though when Kirsten on 137 gave a careless top edge to Papps.
Earlier drama came when both Shaun Pollock (10) and Makhaya Ntini (21) were run out. Pollock’s came in the first over after lunch and saw him seem to start his run twice off Kirsten’s drive, which plainly had no run to it.
Rival captains Graeme Smith and Stephen Fleming suffered the embarrassment of dropping relatively simple catches.
Early in New Zealand’s innings Papps, who was hit on the helmet by Pollock on the next ball was dropped when Smith fumbled several times at first slip.
Pollock was rewarded in the next over when he got Mark Richardson’s wicket lbw for four.
The state of the badly rain-damaged pitch has been of major interest during the Ttest and during the final session of the day it appeared to be breaking up to the concern of New Zealand.
Umpire Russell Tiffin of Zimbabwe issued an official warning to strike bowler Andre Nels not to run on the pitch.
As Nels had only bowled two balls at that point Smith raced in to protest at the warning.
Tiffin was not impressed and pointedly wrote a name in the notebook. It appeared to upset Nels who lost his line and saw a series of fours hit off his deliveries soon after. As he changed to going around the wicket it was plain he was struggling to avoid attracting more attention from Tiffin.
South Africa’s big blow came in the last half hour when Fleming was trapped lbw 27 off a ball by Paul Adams, with New Zealand two for 75.
A confident looking Papps and Scott Styris, 16 not out, settled the innings ahead of stumps. – Sapa-AFP