Proteas battle to hang with Black Caps
Despite trailing by 431 runs at the end of the second day of the opening Test against New Zealand, Proteas captain Neil Brand believes his team are not out of contention yet.
“I still feel we can do something special here,” Brand said after Monday’s play. He has to stay positive, as do his teammates, but the truth is the Proteas are in a Kimberley-sized hole at the Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui.
Getting through 28 overs, as they had to do in the final session on Monday, was always going to be difficult, especially as New Zealand’s substantial first innings total of 511 meant Tim Southee would be able to set aggressive fields.
The Black Caps bowlers, however, were smart with their lines targeting the stumps, something the SA seamers, with the exception of medium pacer Ruan de Swardt, didn’t do enough of when they bowled.
It left SA 80/4, with Brand and Zubayr Hamza a touch
unfortunate to lose their wickets. SA could have afforded the loss of two batters, but four leaves a staggering amount of work to do, even though batting on day three is forecast to be easier by
local experts. The problem is SA will have to bat last on a pitch that Brand showed was beginning to assist spin.
Though most of his six-wicket haul, which included that of
top scorer Rachin Ravindra, who made 240, was the result of New Zealand’s aggressive play, one wicket showed the peril awaiting the Proteas.
Brand got one to spin out of the rough to bowl Mitchel Santner, New Zealand’s front-line left-arm spinner, who was later lucky to get the wicket of Hamza but will play an increasingly prominent role in the remainder of the match.
The Proteas have 16 wickets to play with and will have to display skill to keep a disciplined New Zealand attack at bay. We are one partnership away from being back in the game.
“We’ve played the extra batter and hopefully we can put that to good use,” said Brand.
That selection of an extra batter is at the expense of a frontline spinner, meaning Dane Piedt and Shaun von Berg are carrying drinks.
It left Brand having to carry a heavy workload with the ball — bowling 26 overs for his 6/119 — a toll that probably played a roll in his dismissal when he batted.
“It’s been a tough grind,” Brand said of the first two days of play.
“But we didn’t expect anything less. We gave them a couple of chances which didn’t help.”