A sensational burst from Dale Steyn set South Africa on the path to victory over New Zealand at SuperSport Park on Tuesday, with the great fast bowler picking up three wickets in his first 11 balls.
The score at lunch was 18/4
Steyn, bowling with searing pace and getting help off a surface where the bounce was inconsistent ripped New Zealand’s top order to shreds after South Africa had declared an hour into the morning’s play on 132/7 - a lead of 399.
New Zealand lost a wicket to the first ball of their second innings, when left hand opener Tom Latham failed to get his bat out of the way of a short ball in time, with the ball deflecting off the bat’s handle onto the stumps.
Martin Guptill joined his opening partner at the end of the over, also the first ball he faced, as he pushed out at an away swinger, with the thick edge flying at a comfortable height to Hashim Amla at first slip.
Vernon Philander then struck New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the middle finger of his top hand in the next over, causing the batsman severe discomfort. There was a lengthy break in play as Williamson received treatment on the finger. The New Zealand physio, spent time trying to build a quick mould to help the team’s best batsman play with some form of comfort.
In the between all that, Steyn bowled a gem of an over at Ross Taylor - two balls leaving him off the wicket - following which the fifth, hit a crack, deviated, struck Taylor low on the back leg in front of the off-stump trapping him lbw. It was an unplayable ball, underscoring Steyn’s thoughts on Monday evening that the pitch would be extremely difficult to bat on the longer the match continued.
Whatever hopes New Zealand had of batting out the the five and a half sessions to save the match, went in the next over when Williamson, their top scorer in the first innings, was brilliantly caught by Quinton de Kock, diving full length to his right, off the bowling off Vernon Philander.
That dismissal followed another bout of treatment from the physio, with the mould inserted into the glove of Williamson’s top hand. Sadly for New Zealand and their captain he couldn’t see it out until lunch.
Steyn’s figures at lunch read 4-1-9-3, with Philander adding Williamson’s wicket to the two he picked up in the first innings.
Earlier South Africa added 27 runs in 13 overs of batting in the first hour, with Bavuma not out on 40 when the declaration came. If anything suggested that South Africa got the timing of their declaration right it was seeing Bavuma struck on the right arm and needing to be bandaged up.
Quinton de Kock’s 50, on Monday was the top score by South Africa in the second innings. Tim South with 3/46 was the most successful New Zealand bowler. – Independent Media