KEY POINTS:
Jacob Oram was the toast of his team-mates after New Zealand kept a firm grip on their tour match against a South African Invitation XI yesterday.
Medium pacer Oram came on at second change to take four for 17 as the Black Caps dismissed the home side for 156 in their first innings. New Zealand were previously bowled out for 318 and the visitors' performance on Friday gave them a lead of 162.
Left-spinner and captain Daniel Vettori snapped up the last three wickets in the innings to finish with three for 44. However, fast bowler Shane Bond said most of the New Zealand attack would not be satisfied with their showing.
"Jacob Oram bowled superbly today but the rest of us will probably be a bit disappointed with the way we went," Bond said after bad light ended play 24.1 overs early.
"We started off with a plan to bowl pretty full because it was a lively wicket but that didn't go as well as we had hoped. So we had to pull the length back a bit and that proved to be more effective."
Medium pacer Chris Martin, who took two for 25, looked threatening with the new ball and had Imraan Khan (6) caught behind and bowled Zander de Bruyn (4), as the Invitation XI lurched to 58 for five.
Then Ahmed Amla (67) and Thami Tsolekile (25) shared a defiant stand of 75 to slow New Zealand's progress. Oram made the breakthrough by dismissing Tsolekile, the start of an implosion of four wickets for 23 runs in 15 overs.
Vettori hastened the end by taking a return catch to remove Amla before bowling Lonwabo Tstsobe (9) and having Ethy Mbhalati stumped by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum for a second-ball duck.
Bond said the Black Caps would be keen to push for victory in the match.
"We haven't seen any first-class cricket for a long time, so we want to play competitive cricket and win this game," he said.
New Zealand will play another four-day tour match, against South Africa A in Potchefstroom, before they take on South Africa in the first of two tests in Johannesburg on November 8.
