PROTEAS ARE ON A ROLL
South Africa are well ahead and on target for a rare win in recent times
HAVING given themselves a significant advantage with a substantial first innings, South Africa, for whom Test wins have been as rare as hen’s teeth in recent times, were never going to relinquish their hold on this game.
There was certainly scope to enforce the follow-on with a lead of 267 runs. South Africa’s bowlers were still reasonably fresh, the pitch was offering plenty of assistance to the quicks and the New Zealand opening batsmen, Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, certainly don’t look very confident. However it’s worth remembering this is a South African team with just one win from its last 11 Tests stretching over a period of 12 months.
It’s been a difficult time for all the players and the coaching staff; the No 1 Test ranking is no longer theirs, players are just returning from long-term absences forced by injury and a few are trying to establish their credentials as Test players. The opportunity to win a Test is not something they take lightly and thus the chance to play New Zealand completely out of this match is one they all agreed to take.
An early declaration this morning is quite likely as it allows Dale Steyn and Co. immediate use of a pitch in which there is early swing, while the option of a second new ball is also there towards the end of the day. The highest fourth innings chase at this ground is England’s 251/8, achieved in 2000 when Hansie Cronje succumbed to Marlon Aronstam’s sartorial temptation.
The highest fourth innings total to win a Test in South Africa is 340, which saw the Proteas beat Australia in Durban in 2002. The home team’s cur- rent lead is 372, well in advance of both those totals, allowing Faf du Plessis to dictate the game from here.
There was every indication yesterday that this pitch remains one on which the bowlers will find plenty to help them. Thirteen wickets fell throughout the day and in the extended final session the swing and later bounce that the New Zealand seamers found would have made for uncomfortable viewing for their own batsmen.
With the exception of the magnificent Kane Williamson the tourists all struggled against an aggressive South African attack, with Steyn back to his nasty best and Kagiso Rabada, sending down deliveries well beyond the 140km/h mark.
After a first hour in which Williamson and Henry Nicholls fought well, Rabada’s dismissal of the latter opened the floodgates. Wickets came at regular intervals with only Neil Wagner proving an irritation for the South Africans as he slogged his way to a run-a-ball 31.
Steyn and Rabada finished with three wickets each, while there were two for Philander, in a typically well controlled show of good seam bowling. Williamson showed the rest of his teammates the way with an excellent innings of 77 that saw him occupy the crease for just short of five hours. No other batsmen last longer than two hours, underlining the inability of the other Black Caps batsmen to apply themselves.
New Zealand did fight back well in the extended final session, reducing the hosts to 47/4 at one stage with Trent Boult finally gaining some reward for his excellent swing bowling with the wickets of Stephen Cook and Du Plessis.
Quinton de Kock, continued the good form he displayed in the first innings, with another attacking half-century to give the innings some impetus.
Today the Proteas will look to enforce their dominance by wrapping up what has over three days been a very good performance – something which has been all too rare for them in the Test format in the last year.