South Africa hurried New Zealand out for 297 and reached 49-0 by lunch on the second day of the third cricket Test at the Basin Reserve on Saturday.
Shaun Pollock took two wickets and Nicky Boje and Andre Nel one each as the Proteas took only 14 overs to end New Zealand’s first innings after their resumption at 248-6.
The beginning of the end came when Pollock captured two wickets, those of Chris Cairns for 69 and Daniel Vettori for 0, in the second over of the morning.
Cairns had hit a six over fine leg off Andre Nel to lift his overnight score from 60 before he was bowled by Pollock, leaving a ball that cut back and hit the top of his off stump.
Vettori lasted two balls before offering a simple catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Pollock to leave New Zealand 257-8.
Michael Mason made three in his first Test innings and was caught at third slip by Martin van Jaarsveld off Nel in the ninth over of the day.
There was amusement for the crowd of 4 000 as New Zealand’s last recognised batsman, Jacob Oram, tried to protect number 11 Chris Martin from the South African attack in a last-wicket partnership that lasted 8,1 overs.
Martin is a tailender of the classic type, with a highest score in Test matches of seven and an average of 1,5.
The crowd gave Martin a rousing cheer when he made contact with the first delivery of his innings and a larger cheer when he deflected a ball for a single.
Oram took extreme measures to keep Martin from the strike, regularly turning down runs that might have exposed his partner to the South African bowlers.
He managed in that way and with two lusty sixes off Pollock to reach 34 and to put on 33 for the last wicket before he was stumped by Boucher off Boje in the 104th over.
Boje finished with 4-65, his sixth-best return in Tests, Pollock with 3-85 and Nel 1-77. — Sapa-AP