Cricket: New Zealand in trouble at end of topsy-turvy day

6.15pm

New Zealand were teetering at 128-5 in their second innings when bad light stopped play early on day three of the third cricket test against South Africa today.

It gave the hosts an overall lead of just 109 as they try to protect their 1-0 lead in the series.

Scott Styris was leading the way for New Zealand, unbeaten on 41 alongside Chris Cairns on seven when the umpires called play off with five overs still to be bowled in the day.

Paceman Shaun Pollock and spinner Nicky Boje took two wickets apiece as New Zealand collapsed to 111-5 before an impressive Basin Reserve crowd of 9020 in Wellington.

Earlier, South Africa were dismissed for 316 in their first innings to give them a lead of 19.

Jacques Rudolph ran out of partners to be stranded short of his century at 93 not out while New Zealand paceman Chris Martin took five for 55 to claim his third consecutive five-wicket bag in the series.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand

First innings 297

Second innings

M Papps lbw b Pollock 0

M Richardson c Smith b Boje 37

S Fleming c Boucher b Nel 9

M Sinclair lbw b Pollock 21

S Styris not out 41

B McCullum b Boje 3

C Cairns not out 7

Extras (1b, 4lb, 3nb, 2w) 10

Total (for 5 wkts, 59.4 overs) 128

Fall: 1 (Papps), 42 (Fleming), 73 (Sinclair), 107 (Richardson),
111 (McCullum)

Bowling: S Pollock 15-9-31-2 (3nb, 1w), M Ntini 11.4-3-28-0
(1w), A Nel 12-4-24-1, N Boje 21-6-40-2

South Africa

First innings (237-3 overnight)

G Smith b Cairns 47

H Gibbs c sub (J Marshall) b Martin 77

J Rudolph not out 93

G Kirsten c McCullum b Martin 1

M van Jaarsveld c Oram b Martin 59

J Kallis c McCullum b Martin 0

M Boucher c Papps b Martin 0

S Pollock c Fleming b Oram 5

N Boje b Cairns 25

M Ntini c McCullum b Cairns 4

A Nel c Oram b Cairns 0

Extras (1lb, 4nb) 5

Total (99.5 overs) 316

Fall: 103 (Smith), 130 (Gibbs), 136 (Kirsten), 251 (van Jaarsveld),
265 (Kallis), 265 (Boucher), 270 (Pollock), 304 (Boje), 308 (Ntini),
316 (Nel)

Bowling: C Martin 20-5-55-5 (2nb), M Mason 16-4-73-0, J Oram
11-3-21-1, D Vettori 26-6-76-0, C Cairns 16.5-2-60-4 (2nb), S Styris
10-4-30-0

- NZPA