South Africa recovered to 134/3 in their second innings, giving the tourists a lead of 84 runs on day four of the first test against New Zealand in Hamilton on Saturday. Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 56, which means the record of consecutive hundreds in five tests is within grasp. It’s a feat managed by cricket legend Donald Bradman.
Early in the South African innings, the Proteas crashed to 16/2, losing captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph.
The New Zealand first innings came to a close soon after lunch at 509, giving them a 50-run lead thanks to an unbeaten Jacob Oram maiden Test century.
South Africa’s stuttering steps towards erasing the deficit hit trouble in the eighth over when Smith was out for five after edging Daryl Tuffey to wicketkeeper Brendan McCullum, and Rudolph was bowled by Chris Cairns in the next over without scoring.
The big New Zealand all-rounder Oram, earlier notched a national eighth-wicket record of 113 with Daniel Vettori, to be left unbeaten on 119, after 312 minutes and 216 balls at the crease.
The 509 was New Zealand’s highest total against South Africa, eclipsing their 505 at Cape Town in 1953-54.
South Africa paceman Shane Pollock ended the innings with consecutive balls, dismissing Paul Wiseman for 36 and Daryl Tuffey for nought to give him figures of four for 98 and drawing him level with Allan Donald’s South African record of 330 test wickets. – Sapa-AFP