A career-best haul by Dale Steyn and an unbroken partnership of 159 between Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis put South Africa in control of the first Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at the Wanderers on Friday. South Africa were 179 for two at close of play, for an overall lead of 287.
Trailing South Africa by 148 runs, New Zealand resumed play on a brilliant, sunny day on their overnight score of 41 for two, but were in trouble almost immediately when Steyn bowled night watchman Shane Bond for one in the fourth over of the morning. His opening partner, Makhaya Ntini, claimed the vital wicket of Stephen Fleming five overs later when the former Black Caps skipper was caught at third slip by AB de Villiers for 40 off 48 balls.
Fleming’s departure started the deluge of New Zealand wickets, with the visitors losing five wickets for the addition of only 56 runs before lunch.
Steyn and Ntini needed only 20 minutes after lunch to mop up the New Zealand innings, with Ntini claiming Daniel Vettori’s wicket in the first over after the break. Steyn then took two wickets in three balls to get rid of Brendon McCullum and Chris Martin to finish with figures of five for 34.
His previous best was also against New Zealand — five for 47 at Centurion in 2005/06. New Zealand were all out for a paltry 118 for a first innings deficit of 108.
”It was very nice to know that every time Graeme [Smith] wanted a wicket and threw me the ball, I was able to deliver,” said Steyn.
Asked about the pitch, he said he thought it would get more difficult to bat on as the game moved on. ”The cracks are going to widen up and make it more difficult,” he said. ”There’s a bit of uneven bounce and it does quite a bit in the morning session.”
New Zealand coach John Bracewell disagreed. ”The wicket has flattened out a lot, and I think it is going to get even flatter,” he said. ”If it continues to behave as it did in the latter part of today, we’re still well in the match.”
South Africa lost their two openers very quickly, with Herschelle Gibbs — top-scorer with 63 in South Africa’s first innings — caught by Michael Papps off Bond for eight in the third over. Graeme Smith followed soon after when a delivery from Chris Martin clipped his off stump and South Africa had lost two wickets for just 20 runs. Smith, who managed just one run in the first innings, was out for nine.
Amla and Kallis started off fairly cautiously as they sought to steady the ship, but after safely getting to tea on 63 for two, they cut loose after the break. Their 50 partnership came up off 101 balls and their century partnership off 178. Shortly before the close of play, they reached 150 for the third wicket, passing the record of 139 at the Wanderers scored by Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock in 1969/70.
It could have been very different — Amla was given a second life with his score on two, when McCullum dropped a sitter. He went on to record his sixth Test half-century off 105 balls and Kallis registered his 46th off 79.
At close of play, Amla was not out on 85 and Kallis had 76. As the South Africans continued to amass runs, the New Zealanders’ shoulders began to slump and they appeared at times to be going through the motions.
One of the main differences between the teams has been the fielding — the Proteas made very few errors, while the Black Caps were not nearly as sharp.
Bracewell conceded that dropping Amla on two had been a very expensive error. ”It has cost us lots,” he said. ”At that stage of the innings, with the ball still new, we could possibly have got some more wickets.”
He said New Zealand had failed to take advantage of bowling South Africa out for 226 in their first innings. ”We missed an opportunity, but it’s a missed opportunity and not a lost Test.”
He revealed that Fleming had been taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray after being hit on the arm by Steyn, but there was no fracture, just a bad bruise. — Sapa