NZ bowlers reign in Hamilton rain
Black Caps grab four wickets in stop-start opening day on the soggy Seddon Park but blow a DRS call.
New Zealand pace bowlers Neil Wagner, Matt Henry and Colin de Grandhomme benefited most on a truncated opening day to the third test against South Africa in Hamilton.
The visitors decided to bat following their eighth consecutive international toss win of the tour, despite the wicket being a tempting green for pace bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Vern Philander and Morne Morkel.
They eked out 123 for four before rain seized control midway through the middle session. Despite an extensive drying operation, no further play was possible.
The South African top four had been dismissed, although captain and No 5 Faf du Plessis benefited from the Black Caps muddling a decision review.
The next session — whenever that is, given the grim forecast — will be crucial. New Zealand held the initial impetus, but South Africa had started to reel back control, as they did from 94 for six in their first innings at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Henry was the pick of the bowlers in his first test since playing Pakistan at Seddon Park in November. He finished with two for 25 from 10 overs in the absence of injured spearheads Trent Boult and Tim Southee.
De Grandhomme (two for 43) backed him up with niggling line and length, and Wagner (none for 44) delivered customary aggression.
The day was played in a sepia hue. Rain brought a premature lunch at 1.24pm and finish at 5.48pm, and the start was also delayed half an hour.
On-field matters were not rose- tinted to begin either. South Africa struggled at five for two with debutant Theunis de Bruyn and Dean Elgar dismissed by the fourth over. The highest opening partnership of any side this series has been 18 between Elgar and Stephen Cook in the second innings of the second test.
De Bruyn edged Henry to second slip Tom Latham from his third ball. Jeet Raval moved into his peripheral vision from the left, but Latham’s instinct was sure. He wore a dentalad smile of relief.
Five balls later, Elgar’s judgement betrayed him shouldering arms to de Grandhomme bowling around the wicket. The ball should have put on
its left-hand indicator such was the prodigious movement back to clip the top of off stump.
Hashim Amla proved the antidote to the early batting woes, hitting nine boundaries as part of 50 from 93 balls. His alignment and weight distribution hinted the No 3 was headed back to his best.
However, he suffered a lapse of concentration, beaten for a lack of pace playing across the line to de Grandhomme. The ball cannoned into middle stump.
Amla formed a 59-run third-wicket partnership with Jean-Paul Duminy (20). Duminy eventually hooked Henry to Jeetan Patel at long leg. The shot looked relatively controlled, but he rolled the wrists too early and ballooned a top edge.
New Zealand could have successfully reviewed a Wagner lbw shout at 28 for two when Duminy was on seven.
He also survived a review for lbw on 18 with the score at 47 for two. Henry’s delivery pitched outside leg from over-the-wicket to the lefthander.
The worst DRS gaffe was reserved for du Plessis middling a ball on to his pad at 81 for three in the 29th over. Captain Kane Williamson received some appalling advice. He would have been better offering the decision to the crowd gladiatorial-style with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
The first casualty of the error came 2.1 overs later with the South African captain on 16. A nick to BJ Watling off Wagner saw the hosts impotent in the face of a “not out” decision.
Next over, du Plessis stood tall and cracked Wagner off the back foot through cover point. Judging by the echo, he hit it about as much as the earlier lbw review.
He remains 33 not out.