Dale Steyn’s five-wicket haul led the way for South Africa as they bowled New Zealand out for 195 runs after setting a target of 400 runs and secured a 204-run victory on the fourth day of the second Test in Centurion.
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Mitchell Santner had his bails shattered for a duck by a Philander in-swinger.
Henry Nicholls made a test-best score of 76 before becoming the last wicket to fall and Steyn’s fifth victim. Williamson was playing a positive shot, driving off the back foot, but the ball just nipped away to find the edge of the bat and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock flung himself full-length to claim a brilliant, low catch.
His declaration was therefore geared to having New Zealand bat when it was most likely to be tough for them in South African winter conditions, with the close coming near sunset.
South Africa slid to 6-105 on the third day of the second and final Test against New Zealand but are still firmly in command at Centurion, holding a 372-run lead.
Nicholls and BJ Watling shared a 68-run partnership before spinner Dane Piedt had Watling trapped leg before for 32.
The brightest batting came in the morning when Cook and De Kock took South Africa to 100 for no wicket. Talking about his hundred from first innings to AFP, du Plessis said, “There is a lot happening in the wicket and we just needed one guy to anchor the innings and keep them out there as long as possible”. Amla played some classy shots in his innings, while Duminy answered his critics and reached his first Test fifty in two years. Both scored fifties, before they got out.
But fast bowler Dale Steyn got rid of both opening batsmen in the first over, New Zealand were reduced to 7-4 after 19 balls, and were eventually all out for 195.
However, Faf du Plessis decided not to let the Black Caps follow up.
Steyn and Rabada would not be denied, though, ending New Zealand’s innings with the tourists 267 behind.
Bracewell limped off two balls into the penultimate over of the day after clutching his hamstring. Temba Bavuma ended not out on a determined 40 off 113 balls as South Africa set New Zealand a near impossible target on a pitch with unpredictable bounce and widening cracks that eventually proved too hard to negotiate against a potent attack. Philander looked untroubled until he left a good-length delivery from Southee that jagged back prodigiously to uproot the off stump.
“It was probably from day two where that started to happen and that is something you don’t see very often”.
Bracewell confirmed that the SA bowlers’ aggression levels had peaked when Wagner walked to the wicket.
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Trent Boult’s blistering newball spell should have brought some reward, but he has yet to take a wicket in the match.
