Fire, water and other elements
DAY three had everything.
A century from Black Caps captain Kane Williamson.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj took his maiden fivewicket bag for South Africa.
Ross Taylor limped out to bat after retiring hurt on day two with a calf tear.
Fast bowler Morne Morkel downed a bottle of water to impress a rowdy section of the crowd.
And the University Oval was evacuated shortly after 5pm, when a fire alarm went off.
No news yet on whether a ham and cheese toasty got a wee bit overdone.
When the game resumed about 20 minutes later, the light had faded and the home side bowled spin from both ends. Many of the 3296 spectators did not bother returning, which was a shame.
Neither side can lay claim to having the upper hand after three days. South Africa is 38 for one and has a lead of five runs, with nine wickets in hand.
New Zealand was dismissed shortly after the tea break for 341.
BJ Watling made a critical contribution with 50. The Black Caps wicketkeeper felt the game was still finely balanced.
‘‘It is a bit of a grind out there. It is not a freeflowing wicket and they bowled really well,’’ he said.
‘‘There are two interesting days [ahead] and hopefully we come out in the morning and can pick up an early couple of poles and put them under some pressure.’’
The Black Caps have one wicket. Stephen Cook nicked out four balls into South Africa’s innings before the visitors had registered a run. Replays suggest he may have even missed it, but he strolled off with purpose all the same.
South African captain Faf du Plessis provided the day’s first highlight, grabbing a sensational catch.
Nightwatchman Jeetan Patel got a healthy edge which should have had the measure of du Plessis. But he flung himself high and to his right and thrust out his hand in hope. He bobbled the ball but regathered it as he tumbled back to earth.
Williamson laboured early on. It took him 27 deliveries before he added to his overnight score of 78.
And after an hour he had improved his total by just five runs and had lost another batting partner.
Jimmy Neesham edged behind for seven but there was more than a hint Morne Morkel may have overstepped. The third umpire decided it was not conclusive, which was probably fair.
Williamson’s class began to shine through after drinks. He went on to score 130, his 16th test hundred.
He is now tied for second with Taylor as the list of most prolific New Zealand centurymakers. Only Martin Crowe has scored more with 17.
Williamson has scored 900 runs at an average of 60 in 11 games as captain and is one of only three players to score 16 hundreds before turning 27.
India’s Sachin Tendulkar and England’s Alastair Cook are the other two members of the elite club.
Kagiso Rabada struck the decisive blow to remove Williamson. The batsman had dispatched the 21yearold fast bowler for a series of delightful drives throughout his innings but got an outside edge shortly after South Africa had taken the new ball.
It was the wicket the Proteas had been searching for and it opened up an end.
Neil Wagner swatted a runaball 32, and Taylor bravely returned to bat. He heaved Morkel for six to help New Zealand build a first innings lead of 33.
Leftarm spinner Keshav Maharaj starred for South Africa with five for 94. It was his first fivewicket bag for his country.
‘‘It was very overwhelming. I did shed a tear in the changing room. It means a lot to me,’’ Maharaj said.
Morkel provided one of the more amusing moments. He was fielding in front of the embankment and was encouraged to scull a bottle of water. He obliged and emptied the remaining drips over his head to raucous applause.