MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — South Africa lost two early wickets on the fourth day of the first cricket test Wednesday after New Zealand declared overnight.
Captain Tim Southee called time on New Zealand’s second innings at 179-4 with the home side holding a hefty 528-run lead.
Southee took the wicket of South Africa captain Neil Brand and Matt Henry dismissed opener Edward Moore within the first four overs of the innings. At lunch South Africa was 62-2, still 466 behind.
Zubayr Hamza was not out 31, Raynard van Tonder was 26 and the pair had added 57 for the third wicket, staying together for 104 minutes before lunch.
South Africa still faced the prospect of having to hang on for almost two full days, a prospect made more gloomy by the fact Mitchell Santner was finding extreme turn from one end and Southee could rotate his bowlers at the other.
Brand was given out caught behind from Henry’s bowling in the second over but reviewed and the replay showed the ball grazed the back pad. The reprieve was short-lived: in the next over from Southee he shaped to leave a ball pitched outside off and realized too late it was swinging back.
He played late and was bowled between bat and pad.
Moore hadn’t scored when he drove on the up at a full ball from Henry and hit straight to Devon Conway at extra cover.
Zubayr and van Tonder had moments of anxiety before lunch against searching spin bowling from Santner but managed to steady the South Africa innings.
New Zealand posted 511 batting first with Rachin Ravindra making 240 and Kane Williamson 118. Williamson made another century in New Zealand’s second innings as the hosts decided not to enforce the follow-on and consolidated its already substantial lead.
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