Thanks largely to captain Graeme Smith, South Africa were in a strong position on 133-4, with a first innings lead of 14 runs when play ended early on the first day of the third and final Castle Lager Test against New Zealand at the Wanderers on Friday.
Smith won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat on a pitch that offered something for the bowlers. And whereas he came in for a lot of criticism for doing the same in the second Test at Newlands, his decision was vindicated when the Black Caps were all out for 119 just before tea, with five New Zealand batsmen making ducks.
Makhaya Ntini and his new opening partner, Dale Steyn, did most of the damage.
They took two wickets before New Zealand had a run on the board, and the third fell when New Zealand had two runs. By lunchtime, New Zealand had creaked to 50-3.
Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle did much to steady the sinking ship, with a fourth-wicket partnership of 56, but once Astle went out, caught in the slips by Jacques Kallis off Steyn for 20, the wickets started falling like ninepins.
Fleming, who had played very aggressively, was next to go, when he was given out caught behind by Mark Boucher off Ntini, although the ball appeared to have come off his thigh pad. He made 46 — New Zealand’s top score. He faced 82 deliveries and hit nine boundaries. Two balls later, Ntini caught Brendon McCullum off his own bowling for a duck.
Steyn trapped Daniel Vettori leg before wicket for two in the next over, which brought James Franklin to the crease.
However, Franklin, who made an unbeaten 122 in the Newlands Test, was unable to repeat his heroics and he was caught by Boucher off Andrew Hall for 19.
Shaun Pollock, back in the side after recovering from a lower back strain, also came to the party with the wicket of Jacob Oram (who made 133 in the first Test at Centurion) for 18.
Ntini was brought back into the attack before tea, and completed his 15th five-wicket haul when Smith, back in his normal fielding position at first slip, caught Chris Martin and New Zealand were all out for 119 — the lowest first-innings score in a Test at the Wanderers.
It appeared that South Africa might follow New Zealand’s example when Martin bowled Boeta Dippenaar with his third ball to have South Africa on 1-1. However, a partnership of 98 between Smith and Hashim Amla took South Africa close to the New Zealand total.
Smith played a magnificent innings, making 63 off 64 balls, which included 10 fours. Just before he reached his first Test 50 of the season, he received a nasty blow on the elbow from Kyle Mills and had to receive treatment on the field. But he reached his 13th Test 50 with a lovely square drive to the boundary. His 50 came up off 54 balls.
Amla and Kallis took South Africa to 119 in the 28th over, with Amla scoring 16 runs off the over, which also took him to 50. He had been there for just over two hours and had faced 75 deliveries and hit 10 fours.
As the shadows lengthened across the field, Martin grabbed his second wicket — the vital one of Kallis, who dragged the ball onto his wicket for nine.
Six balls later, Amla was caught by Papps at second slip off Scott Styris for 56.
At close of play, with 13 overs left to play, Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers had one run each. — Sapa