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JOHANNESBURG, - New Zealand coach John Bracewell said the result of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers was by no means fixed despite the hosts already leading by 287 runs with eight second innings wickets in hand.
South Africa cruised to 179 for two at stumps on the second day, having blasted New Zealand out for 118 to lead by 108 runs on first innings.
It was Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis who moved South Africa into their formidable position as they scooted along to an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 159 off 285 balls.
But Bracewell said he expected batting conditions to remain good.
"The wicket has settled down to a pretty flat thing and it doesn't look as if it's going to break up," he said. "If it continues to behave as it did in the latter part of the day, I think we're still in the match."
New Zealand resumed their first innings on 41 for two on Friday morning, but were hurried out just 21 balls after lunch as fast bowler Dale Steyn struck five times.
South Africa had admitted that batting first on an overcast first day had been a gamble, but their plan all along was to take advantage of a deteriorating pitch and that decision seems to be paying off.
Steyn certainly thinks so and he told reporters after play that "I think the pitch is going to be a bit more difficult as the game goes on. I'm sure it will be more difficult to bat on once those cracks widen, which I'm sure they'll do tomorrow and the next day."
Steyn's figures of five for 34 were his best in Test cricket, improving on his five for 47 against the Black Caps up the road at Centurion last year.
"Every time the captain threw the ball to me and requested a wicket I was able to do so. It was good to know he had faith in me," Steyn said.
Bracewell called for greater concentration from his batsmen in the second innings.
"I don't think we watched the ball particularly well. We've had a good lesson this afternoon, watching the ball under your chin and playing it from the base of the stumps."
Bracewell's other bugbear was the crucial, if testing chance wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum failed to take off Shane Bond when Amla had just two.
"At that time of the match, with the ball still hard and new, it's cost us a lot. It's just one of the ones he dropped, but Brendon's been keeping exceptionally well.
"That's Test cricket - you make a mistake and it costs you."
Amla made sure he sent out that advisory loud and clear as he struck 13 fours, several of them flicked through leg from unimaginably straight lines, in a tenacious innings of 85 not out that has spanned 230 minutes.
Kallis was his usual imperturbable self and had eased to 76 not out off 122 balls, with 12 fours.
South Africa had been in trouble on 20 for two as Herschelle Gibbs (8) played a loose stroke to be caught in the slips off Bond and Graeme Smith (9) misread a yorker from Chris Martin and was bowled. But it was a false ray of hope for the Black Caps as no other breakthroughs were forthcoming.
Bond and Martin tired, Jacob Oram looked surprisingly rusty for someone who has excelled with the ball so far on tour, Iain O'Brien lacked penetration and Daniel Vettori was taken on by Kallis. Scott Styris was pressed into service for the first time in the match and promptly taken off after an over.
For New Zealand, there was little to cheer about despite Bracewell's positive talk.
Former captain Stephen Fleming hung around for over an hour to top score with 40, while there were also lengthy stays for little reward by Scott Styris (11) and debutant Ross Taylor (15).
- NZPA
