Cricket: NZ within sight after Martin bags four

7.00pm

AUCKLAND - New Zealand were closing in on a second cricket test victory against South Africa after fast bowler Chris Martin reduced them to 277 for six in their second innings at stumps on day four here today.

Martin took four South African wickets to bag 10 for the match, the only time a New Zealand bowler had achieved that against the Proteas, as the tourists were still 22 runs short of making New Zealand bat again.

Jacques Rudolph was holding the innings together on 121 not out at stumps after they collapsed from 249 for two to lose four for 23.

Jacques Kallis was trapped leg before wicket by Craig McMillan for 71, denying him a chance to equal Sir Don Bradman's world record of centuries in six consecutive tests.

Martin ended with figures of four for 71 off 17 overs.

The home side were dismissed for 595 earlier today to take a first innings lead of 299.

NZ V South Africa scoreboard



First innings 296

Second innings

G Smith b Martin 0

H Gibbs lbw b Oram 61

J Rudolph not out 121

J Kallis lbw b McMillan 71

G Kirsten lbw b Martin 1

N McKenzie c Papps b Martin 0

M Boucher c Fleming b Martin 10

S Pollock not out 5

Extras (6b, 1lb, 1nb) 8

Total (for 6 wkts, 83 overs) 277

Fall: 0 (Smith), 103 (Gibbs), 249 (Kallis), 250 (Kirsten), 250 (McKenzie), 272 (Boucher).

Bowling: C Martin 17-4-71-4, J Oram 19-7-43-1, D Tuffey 4-1-13-0, C Cairns 7-0-47-0 (1nb), D Vettori 19-4-54-0, S Styris 13-5-39-0, C McMillan 4-1-3-1.


New Zealand


First innings (584-8 overnight)

M Richardson c Gibbs b Kallis 45

M Papps c Boje b Pollock 0

S Fleming c Kallis b Ntini 4

S Styris c Pollock b Boje 170

C McMillan b Pollock 82

B McCullum b Ntini 13

C Cairns c Kallis b Smith 158

J Oram b Ntini 90

D Vettori not out 4

D Tuffey b Pollock 13

C Martin b Pollock 0

Extras (10lb, 6nb) 16

Total (148.5 overs) 595

Fall: 5 (Papps), 12 (Fleming), 137 (Richardson), 285 (Styris), 314 (McMillan), 349 (McCullum), 574 (Cairns), 578 (Oram), 595 (Tuffey), 595 (Martin).

Bowling: S Pollock 32.5-6-113-4 (1nb), M Ntini 36-7-110-3 (5nb), D Terbrugge 22-4-93-0, J Kallis 23-1-108-1, N Boje 22-2-108-1, N McKenzie 2-0-8-0, J Rudolph 6-0-26-0, G Smith 5-0-19-1.



- NZPA