Cricket: Joyless opening day for Black Caps

Stephen Fleming chose wrongly

JOHANNESBURG - New Zealand lost their manager, the toss and eventually their resolve as the Rest of South Africa plundered themselves into a commanding position on a joyless opening day of the Black Caps' cricket tour overnight.

Condemned to a long hard day in the field after Stephen Fleming called incorrectly to gift the hosts first use of a featherbed wicket, the Black Caps toiled until the shadows lengthened and accuracy evaporated in energy-sapping conditions at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

New Zealand's test-strength attack staunched the initial run flow on what is regarded as South Africa's slickest outfield.

Buit in the the final hour Neil McKenzie and JP Duminy raced each other to centuries as the run rate resembled the tail end flurry of a one-day international.

The South African's ended the first of four days on a dominant 355 for three after the former Protea internationals bludgeoned 167 in the final session.

At one point the Black Caps leaked 77 off nine overs -- including 22 off premier paceman Shane Bond -- as the scoreboard rocketed past 300.

Captain McKenzie won the individual race to three figures by clubbing the bulk of the 22 surrendered by Bond is his wretched 10th over.

The discarded 35-test veteran hooked the first two deliveries for four and six, waited while the speedster twice lost his rhythm and sneaked a single and an overthrow off a no ball.

He then punched two straight drives for two and four before eking another single to allow Duminy to spike Bond's third spell at a solitary over with another hook square for a couple.

Bond was brought back to share the new ball but an over later that responsibility was handed to James Franklin and Chris Martin, the former powerless as McKenzie hit it over slips to notch his 20th first class century.

After circumspect starts McKenzie and Duminy smacked 13 boundaries apiece, piling on the agony as New Zealand wilted.

No bowler was spared in the late afternoon onslaught, though Styris copped the least punishment conceding 32 off nine.

Apart from Bond's off-target 10th final, he also tallied an uncharacteristic nine no balls and five wides.

After learning manager Lindsay Crocker required an overnight hospital stay when he reacted feverishly to an infected knee, there was little to enlighten a steady if unspectacular effort though allrounder Jacob Oram (15-5-45-0) did emerge unscathed -- physically at least -- in his international comeback from a heel injury.

The fielding was also sound though a miss by Peter Fulton at second slip when Duminy was on 28 -- and the score 170 -- was critical.

Introduced as a partnership breaker as the game meandered along to the 53rd over Scott Styris almost worked the oracle when Duminy speared his fourth delivery to Fulton's left.

The tall Cantabrian got a hand to the ball momentarily but the chance went down and after it, eventually, New Zealand's heads followed.

By the close Duminy and McKenzie were both unbeaten on 125 with intentions of prolonging their 248-run stand to a situation where the hosts only intend to bat once.

McKenzie featured in two significant stands -- first adding 65 with Justin Ontong for the third wicket after the South Africans found themselves at a potentially vulnerable 42 for two after Bond castled Alviro Peterson (2) with an inswinger.

Smart fielding from Franklin ran out Stephen Cook for a painstaking 13 off 49 balls.

New Zealand's only other success arrived in the first over after lunch when Franklin trapped Ontong for 61 with the score at 107.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum insisted the New Zealanders were staying positive despite caving in at the death.

"We made good inroads initially but you can't take anything away from those guys," he said.

"I thought our bowlers, two days off the plane, kept running in pretty hard for us and barring what the scoreboard says I think it was a pretty productive day for us.

"We beat the bat plenty of times and on another day the scoreboard might have looked differently.

"It was a hard day's toil and hopefully it will leave us in pretty good stead for what's coming down the track.

"The boys are a bit jaded but that's the nature of being two days off the plane. The real test will be how we shape up tomorrow."

Test schedule in South Africa:


1st test - April 15-19, Centurion
2nd test - April 27-May 1, Cape Town
3rd test - May 5-9, Johannesburg


- NZPA