New Zealand crumbled in the face of a sustained South African attack on the second day of the first cricket test in Johannesburg today.
The tourists were an unappetising 97 for seven at lunch at the Wanderers chasing the 226 South Africa made in their first innings yesterday.
Brendon McCullum was on five at the interval, with captain Daniel Vettori at the other end on four.
New Zealand lost five wickets for 56 runs this morning against quality South African fast bowling after resuming on 41 for two.
Nightwatchman Shane Bond went for one, senior batsman Stephen Fleming for 40, Scott Styris for 11, allrounder Jacob Oram for one and debutant Ross Taylor for 15.
Bond departed in the fifth over of the morning session when he was yorked by fast bowler Dale Steyn, who ate a hearty lunch with fine figures of three for 32.
Bond had done a commendable job holding up his end for 20 deliveries before Steyn pierced his defences and bent back the off stump.
Fleming, in his first test since being stripped of the captaincy, was undone by fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who angled the ball across the batsman and induced an edge to third slip where AB de Villiers took a fine catch.
Left-hander Fleming had added 18 runs to his overnight score and his departure left New Zealand at a precarious 64 for four.
Their predicament worsened 19 runs later when Styris showed poor foot work to edge a lifting delivery from medium pacer Jacques Kallis to Graeme Smith at first slip.
There was little respite for the tourists when Oram became the fourth victim of the session after opening the face of the bat against Steyn only to present Kallis with a low catch at second slip.
Kallis then had his second wicket at cheap cost when an ordinary stroke from Taylor proved his downfull as Herschelle Gibbs took a good catch at gully.
It was a fine fightback from the home side and all their bowlers demanded the upmost respect.
Conditions were good for batting, with warm temperatures and sunny skies in sharp contrast to the slight damp and cloudy skyline of yesterday.
