Colin Bryden: All uphill for South Africans

COMMENT

The second test was supposed to be a celebration of South African cricket, with Gary Kirsten playing in his 100th test and Shaun Pollock becoming the country's leading wicket-taker. Those events duly happened, but all the other milestones belonged to New Zealand.

South African captain Graeme Smith rightly gave credit to the Black Caps who outperformed an under-par South African team. What will be distressing for the young South African skipper is that New Zealand played better at key moments.

When there was a need to slow down the game on the first afternoon, New Zealand were able to keep Jacques Kallis and Jacques Rudolph from taking command. When the clouds came over on the second morning, Chris Martin produced the bowling performance of a lifetime. When there was an opportunity to attack the South African bowling, Scott Styris did it with precision and Chris Cairns followed up with a glorious display of power hitting.

Jacob Oram played an excellent support role with ball and bat. The South Africans may have been guilty of underestimating their opponents but they will not make that mistake again. In particular, they will recognise in Oram an all-rounder of the quality that has provided the backbone for their own team over the past decade.

South Africa find themselves one down despite having been on top on the first day of both tests. Indeed in Hamilton they had, in the terminology that New Zealand coach John Bracewell used in a different context, their foot on the throat of the opposition as late as tea on the third day.

In both matches New Zealand fought their way out of trouble, while South Africa let the initiative slip. The inability of the South African bowlers to blast their way through the Kiwi lower-order batting is an area of major concern.

New Zealand have effectively done to South Africa what the tourists have done so often to other sides during their long tenure as the second-ranked team in test cricket. They have shown resilience and depth in all-rounders, whereas South Africa's batting has collapsed at crucial stages.

To reach 177 before losing a wicket, then be bowled out for 296, was a devastating blow, as was the loss of three wickets in nine balls on the fourth afternoon just when it seemed Rudolph and Kallis might bat them to safety.

Rudolph's innings was a highlight for South Africa. He faced the second new ball of the second innings and showed the composure of a veteran in difficult circumstances.

Another small ray of hope, assuming the pitch in Wellington has more bounce than has been seen in the first two tests, was the hint of frailty shown by New Zealand's opening batsmen. Michael Papps gives the bowlers cause for optimism, while Mark Richardson was hit twice on the helmet by Pollock before ducking into a short ball by Makhaya Ntini and leaving his bat sticking up like a periscope.

Smith has refused to use it as an excuse but South Africa have been on the road for a long time. There were periods at Eden Park when they played like men with nothing more to give. It will not be easy for them to raise their game enough to salvage the series.