A resolute and unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 73 between Dean Brownlie (44*) and BJ Watling (41*) helped New Zealand reach 157-4 in their follow-on innings and avoid the ignominy of back-to-back three-day losses in the second Sunfoil Test match at Axess St.George’s on Sunday.
The Black Caps were spared the embarrassment of being dismissed for less than 100 by an unlikely tenth wicket stand of 59 which took them from 62-9 to 121 all out in the first innings but Graeme Smith had no doubt about enforcing the follow-on.
Dale Steyn claimed the first three wickets of the day to claim his 19th five-wicket haul once the Black Caps had resumed on their wretched overnight score of 47-6. The great paceman’s 5-17 from 13 overs leaves him just one ‘five-for’ behind his mentor, Allan Donald.
Doug Bracewell edged to ‘keeper AB de Villiers, Neil Wagner was lbw and Jeetan Patel ran away from the only three deliveries he faced, the last of which hit his unguarded stumps.
But BJ Watling found a better ally in last man Trent Boult and he moved aggressively and impressively to 63 from 87 balls before Morne Morkel finally claimed a much deserved first wicket courtesy of Smith at first slip.
An opening stand of 40 in the follow-on innings was ended by Robin Peterson who dismissed Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum for the third time in the series, lbw for a second time. The left-arm spinner struck again when Kane Williamson misread both the line and length of a delivery he attempted to cut and was bowled.
Rory Kleinveldt then claimed two wickets in as many deliveries when Martin Guptill (48) was bowled by a beauty which clipped the top of off-stump and Daniel Flynn edged to De Villiers to complete a dreaded ‘pair’.
Brownlie and Watling have been the only Black Caps batsmen to show any sign of form during the series and they once again dug deep into their reserves to deny the Proteas any further progress towards victory.