NZ confident of upset win over South Africa
Despite being seemingly batted out of the first Test against South Africa, New Zealand's cricketers are confident of pulling off an unlikely victory on the last day.
Needing what would be a New Zealand fourth-innings record of 401 to win, the hosts had battled to 2-137 at stumps on the fourth day at the University Oval in Dunedin.
They need a further 264 runs in the final three sessions on Sunday.
South Africa declared at 5-435 in their second innings on Saturday after centuries from skipper Graeme Smith (115), Jacques Kallis (113) and Jacques Rudolph (105no).
New Zealand lost both openers either side of tea but skipper Ross Taylor (48no) and Brendon Mccullum (58no) combined for a brisk 82-run partnership, off 126 balls, before bad light ended play early.
Mccullum and Taylor were both aggressive, punishing overpitched and wide deliveries, but willing to defend against good balls.
New Zealand assistant coach Trent Woodhill told a press conference after the day's play the home team was confident, despite South Africa, the second-ranked Test team in the world, having a potent bowling attack, including legspinner Imran Tahir.
"We are going into day five of a Test match and we have a chance of winning it."
Woodhill commended Smith's declaration but now there was a bit riding on the shoulders of the two batsmen at the crease.
"We've just got to make sure one of them goes real big and the other goes pretty big."
Woodhill said the pitch was playing the same way it did on the first two days.
The Test could be in the hands of the weather as the forecast for the final day is for rain, easing to showers in the afternoon.
If it does hold off it will be a fantastic result for New Zealand, who are ranked eighth among the Test-playing nations, only above Bangladesh.
They have only successfully chased a fourth-innings total of more than 300 twice, and the best was reaching 5-324 to beat Pakistan at Lancaster Park in 1993-94.