Cricket: South African have edge heading into final day

6.35pm

South Africa are 152 runs away from victory with seven wickets in hand heading into the final day of the third test against New Zealand tomorrow.

The Proteas were 82-3 in their second innings when bad light stopped play at Wellington's Basin Reserve tonight, chasing 234 to square the series 1-1.

Captain Graeme Smith was leading the way on 46 with Gary Kirsten, playing his 101st and final test, on 19 when day four ended early at 5.40pm.

New Zealand were given some early hope of defending their small target early in the final session, reducing South Africa to 36-3.

Paceman Chris Martin, who has taken 16 wickets in his previous three test innings, had Herschelle Gibbs caught at first slip for 16 and Jacques Rudolph bowled for a duck.

Jacob Oram then trapped Jacques Kallis leg before wicket for one but Smith and Kirsten added an unbroken 46 to put the South Africans back in the box seat.

Scoreboard:

NEW ZEALAND

First innings 297

Second innings (128-5 overnight)

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 c and b Nel 73

B McCullum b Boje 3

C Cairns c van Jaarsveld b Boje 41

J Oram lbw b Boje 40

D Vettori c van Jaarsveld b Ntini 9

M Mason run out 0

C Martin not out 1

Extras (1b, 9lb, 5nb, 3w) 18

Total (96.2 overs) 252

Fall: 1 (Papps), 42 (Fleming), 73 (Sinclair), 107 (Richardson),
111 (McCullum), 198 (Cairns), 201 (Styris), 220 (Vettori), 224
(Mason), 252 (Oram)

Bowling: S Pollock 22-10-65-2 (5nb, 1w), M Ntini 20-5-50-1
(1w), A Nel 21-5-58-2 (1w), N Boje 33.2-7-69-4

SOUTH AFRICA

First innings 316

Second innings (target 234)

G Smith not out 46

H Gibbs c Fleming b Martin 16

J Rudolph b Martin 0

J Kallis lbw b Oram 1

G Kirsten not out 19

Extras 0

Total (for 3 wkts, 30 overs) 82

Fall: 29 (Gibbs), 31 (Rudolph), 36 (Kallis)

Bowling: C Martin 8-1-30-2, M Mason 4-1-21-0, J Oram 5-2-6-1,
C Cairns 5-1-8-0, D Vettori 8-1-17-0

- NZPA