Cricket: Battle heavy going for Black Caps

Chris Martin takes the wicket of Ashwell Prince, one of five batsmen to fall to the paceman in South Africa's first innings. Picture / Reuters

New Zealand offered a variation on their usual batting woes early today, losing the third test against South Africa after another unspeakable performance with the ball.

Just as the New Zealand bowlers let their opponents off the hook in the first innings, they were again the main culprits last night as South Africa chased down the winning total of 217 with relative ease, winning by four wickets with more than two days remaining.

On a Wanderers' pitch that's caused nightmares for batsmen, the New Zealand pace trio of Chris Martin, James Franklin and Kyle Mills seemed unable to bowl two deliveries in the same place, and conceded about five an over for most of the innings.

Coach John Bracewell had earlier described his team's first-day bowling performance as the worst in two years, and he would have been mortified last night as the attack fell into even more disarray, providing a dream ride for the opposition batsmen.

Graeme Smith and Boeta Dippenaar were the early beneficiaries, making the most of the wayward bowling to set a stable platform for the chase, and Ashwell Prince later cashed in with 43 to guide his side home.

Dippenaar was the first to go after the luncheon adjournment, aiming an expansive drive at Martin and being caught at the wicket for 37, the dismissal bringing up the New Zealand opening bowler's 99th test wicket.

Smith departed midway through the second session for 68 off 79 balls, but not before striking nine fours and a six, playing the leading role in a second wicket stand with Hashim Amla worth 61, and helping to put the result beyond doubt.

New Zealand's pace bowling was so bad that skipper Stephen Fleming had to fall back on part-timer Scott Styris and spinner Daniel Vettori to stem the run-flow, a plan that was ruined when the pair conceded 23 off four overs.

The result would have been all the more galling after the tourists fought back from an awful first day to give themselves a chance last night, dismissing South Africa for 186 before making 283 in the second innings.

Resuming at 214 for six on day three, New Zealand lost their last four wickets for 69 runs, including their last three within six deliveries, to leave the South Africa in a handy, but far from impregnable position.

In a test in which wickets have tumbled in each morning session, New Zealand seemed to initially defy the odds last night, as Vettori and Jacob Oram resumed with an assurance that was to eventually realise 49 runs for the seventh wicket.

But the optimism was shattered soon after when Oram tried to unleash a stand-and-deliver type of shot off the bowling of Dale Steyn and was brilliantly caught by a diving Dippenaar for 27, with the total at 239.

New Zealand could thank Vettori for ensuring they stretched the lead past 200; the left-hander employing his awkward but effective method to bring up his 11th test half-century off 71 balls, including seven fours.

Sadly, the wheels fell off the NZ innings with spectacular speed.

James Franklin shouldered arms to a ball from Shaun Pollock that knocked back his off-stump, Vettori flayed at Andrew Hall four balls later and was caught in the gully for 60, and Chris Martin was unable to survive the first delivery he received, a bouncer from Hall.


NEW ZEALAND

End of play, third day
First innings 119

Second innings

M. Papps c Hall b Kallis 15
J. How lbw b Steyn 4
S Fleming c de Villiers b Kallis 37
S. Styris c and b Steyn 42
N. Astle c Boucher b Steyn 45
J. Oram c Dippenaar b Steyn 27
B. McCullum c Boucher b Pollock 5
D. Vettori c de Villiers b Hall 60
J. Franklin b Pollock 19
K. Mills not out 0
C. Martin c Amla b Hall 0
Extras (5b, 17lb, 4nb, 3w) 29
- - Total (78.5 overs) 283
Fall: 9/1, 40/2, 82/3, 158/4, 177/5, 190/6, 239/7, 283/8, 283/9, 283/10.

Bowling: Ntini 17-4-44-0, Steyn 22-3-91-4 (3nb, 1w), Kallis 14-1-40-2 (1nb, 2w), Hall 12.5-1-50-2, Pollock 13-3-36-2.

SOUTH AFRICA

First innings 186

Second innings

G. Smith c McCullum b Franklin 68
B. Dippenaar c McCullum b Martin 37
H. Amla b Mills 28
J. Kallis c How b Mills 13
A. Prince not out 43
AB de Villiers b Franklin 5
M. Boucher b Franklin 66
SM Pollock not out 6
Extras (4b, 5lb, 2w, 3nb) 14
- - Total (for 6 wkts, 47.3 overs) 22
Fall: 1/69, 2/130, 3/156, 4/167, 5/180, 6/202.

Bowling: Martin 17-1-64-1 (2w), Franklin 13.3-0-67-3 (3nb), Mills 11-3-49-2, Oram 2-0-8-0, Styris 3-0-12-0, Vettori 1-0-11-0.