0.1 overs, Tom Latham b Dale Steyn 0. NZ 0-1. NZ make an art form of top-order collapses
It can qualify as our worst start to a test cricket innings but we were never going to knock India out of the record books.
When New Zealand slumped to 7-4 in the second innings of the second test against South Africa in Centurion on Tuesday night (NZ time), thoughts of the record all New Zealand cricket fans try to forget were prominent.
And while a team tally of 26 was easily avoided, New Zealand reaching seven by the time the fourth wicket fell comfortably put India’s unbreakable achievement far behind them.
In the second innings of their first test against England at Headingley, Leeds, in 1952, India somehow managed to lose their first four wickets without a run on the board.
That made the Black Caps’ toporder woes seem prolific in comparison. New Zealand’s mark of 7-4 was the equal fifth lowest total in a test innings for the loss of four wickets.
Amazingly, when New Zealand set the unwanted record for the lowest team score in a test innings against England in Auckland in 1955, they’d reached seven for the loss of just one wicket.
Even when New Zealand have scored under 50 in test matches, they haven’t come that close to being in the perilous situation of 7-4.
When they were rolled for 42 in the first innings against Australia in March, 1946, in Wellington, they reached seven before the first wicket fell – and got to 37-2 before a horror collapse. The second innings wasn’t much brighter as New Zealand made 54 – they were 5-2 before 14 from Merv Wallace and 13 from Eric Tindill, erm, steadied the ship.
New Zealand’s third lowest test innings total is still fresh in the memory – and got a jolt on Tuesday night.
But when the Black Caps perished for 45 against the Proteas in Newlands in January, 2013, they made it to seven before the first wicket fell, and 27-4.
Possibly New Zealand’s second worst start when four down was against Pakistan in Dhaka in November, 1955, when they stumbled to 15-4 on their way to 70 all out in the first innings.
Of note among the second innings debacle, the fifth-wicket partnership of 68 between Henry Nicholls and BJ Watling was the second highest partnership for that wicket by any pair in tests after the first four wickets have fallen before 10 runs were scored.
M Guptill c Amla b Steyn ................................ 0 T Latham b Steyn .................................................. 0 K Williamson c De Kock b Philander ..... 5 R Taylor lbw b Steyn ........................................... 0 H Nicholls c Rabada b Steyn ..................... 76 BJ Watling lbw b Piedt .................................... 32 M Santner b Steyn ............................................... 16 D Bracewell lbw b Philander ..................... 30 T Southee b Rabada .......................................... 14 N Wagner lbw b Rabada .................................. 3 T Boult not out ......................................................... 0 Extras (10b, 7lb, 2w) ............................................ 19 Total (all out, 58.2 overs) ............................. 195 Fall: 0, 3, 5, 7, 75, 118, 164, 187, 195, 195. Bowling: D Steyn 16.2-4-33-5, V Philander 14-4-34-2, K Rabada 13-2-54-2 (1w), S van Zyl 3-1-5-0, D Piedt 12-3-52-1. Result: South Africa won by 204 runs. Series: South Africa won 1-0.