Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn put in match-winning performances to wrap up the New Zealand innings on the fifth morning of the first Castle Lager Test at Supersport Park on Wednesday.
The two pace bowlers needed just 33 minutes to bowl New Zealand out for 120 runs, to give South Africa victory by 128 runs.
The writing had been on the wall when bad light stopped play just after tea on Tuesday, with New Zealand in deep trouble on 98-7. But Hamish Marshall, who had played a gritty innings, and Daniel Vettori looked as if they might delay the inevitable for some time, particularly when Marshall was dropped by Boeta Dippenaar in the second over of the morning.
Ntini took the first wicket when Marshall edged a magnificent delivery to Boucher to go out on 25. He had been at the crease for nearly three hours and had faced 85 deliveries.
It gave Ntini his second five-wicket haul of the match, and his fourth ten-wicket haul. He ended with figures of 10-145. His achievement won him the man-of-the-match award.
Not to be outdone, Steyn grabbed the wicket of the dangerous Vettori with the third ball of the next over, when Vettori was caught behind by Boucher for 38, including six fours and a six. But Steyn’s joy was unbounded when he clean bowled Chris Martin with the last ball of the over to capture his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
It was South Africa’s first Test win this summer, and will have gone some way to easing the pain of the five-nil loss to Australia.
The second Test starts at Newlands in Cape Town on April 27. — Sapa