Cricket: Gillespie helps NZ back into test

Mark Gillespie. Photo / Getty Images.

New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor said on the eve of the second cricket test against South Africa Mark Gillespie "talks a big game'' but Gillespie proved this morning he can bring a big game too with four wickets in four dramatic overs.

If yesterday will be remembered for New Zealand's incredible collapse from 133 for two to 133 for seven inside 20 balls, today will be remembered for the return of Gillespie.

Playing his first test since 2008 and his fourth overall, he picked up a wicket in each of his first four overs of the day. He might have snared another in his fifth but AB de Villiers edged through a slip cordon that was strangely under-manned.

It started with the wicket of Hashim Amla (16) with his second ball of the day and Jacques Kallis (6), Alviro Petersen (29) and Jacques Rudolph (1) soon followed him.

Gillespie is renowned as a player who can make things happen, and he did. At one stage he had the remarkable figures of four for 17 off five overs and he deserved to finish the innings with five for 59 - his second five-wicket bag of his protracted career.

It dragged New Zealand back into a match they seemed out of last night. South Africa were 88-6 at one stage and the Black Caps might have had thoughts of a first-innings lead but the Proteas added another 165 runs with their last four wickets to move through to 253 and a lead of 68.

That looked like a lot when New Zealand's top order failed once again and they finished the day still up against it three runs behind on 65-4 with Williamson on 41 and Daniel Vettori yet to score. It looked like it might have been healthier but they lost Taylor for 17 just 2.2 overs before the close of play.

New Zealand's second-innings collapse didn't quite match the events of yesterday but that was extraordinary and seven for three is bad enough at any time.

It was car crash material as Rob Nicol, who looks out of his depth in test cricket, Martin Guptill (1) and Brendon McCullum (5) surrendered their wickets meekly and handed back any initiative they had worked so hard to grasp.

Nicol's run in this series reads 6, 19, 2 and 1 and his days in the side could be numbered. South Africa will hope he remains because they have his.

Today he was bowled when the ball rolled down from his thigh onto the inside of the pad and hand and onto the stumps. It was a cruel way to go but it's called test cricket for a reason.

Dean Brownlie is expected to be fit in time to play next week in Wellington, and there is a school of thought he needs to play domestic cricket before being thrust back in, but he is a fighter and his average of 47.85 from four tests looks significantly healthier than Nicol's.

It would mean McCullum moving back up the order to open and Kane Williamson into three but McCullum is basically opening now anyway.

Vernon Philander continued his incredible start in test cricket, picking up another two today to take his tally to 41 wickets in his sixth test at 14.36 _ and is on target to be the first bowler to 50 wickets since the Nineteenth Century.

Williamson and Taylor restored some order with a partnership of 57 but Williamson and Vettori will need to bat for considerable time today if New Zealand are to post a competitive target.

The pitch is sluggish and dying but certainly not as lethal as 24 wickets in two days would suggest and de Villiers (83) proved batsmen can prosper if they are prepared to work hard to get in and play good cricket shots.