NEW ZEALAND IN BETTER SHAPE AFTER DAY TWO

At stumps the South Africans, who were replying to New Zealand’s 298, had Daryll Cullinan, on 13, and Shaun Pollock, on 5, at the crease.

New Zealand’s first success came in the 12th over after tea after Kirsten and Boeta Dippenaar had taken their opening partnership to 81. Dippenaar had progressed to 35, his highest score in his four Test matches, when he played back to Chris Martin and was struck high on the back leg.

It seemed that the ball would have passed over the top of the stumps, but umpire Ian Robinson thought otherwise and Dippenaar was on his way.

Jacques Kallis produced an exquisite cover drive and a savage pull off Martin as he made his way to 12, but he fell to the gentle medium pace of Nathan Astle who had been brought on to plug up the Duckpond End.

Kallis tried to force him off the back foot and Adam Parore took an excellent catch standing up off an inside bottom edge. The second South African wicket fell at 96.

Kirsten, meanwhile, had been edging towards his 23rd Test 50, but he contrived lto get himself out one run short when he flashed at a wide one from Kerry Walmsley and Parore lept in front of first slip to take the catch at 114 for three.

After slipping down the order in recent Test matches, Pollock took it upon himself to go in as nightwatchman. He and Cullinan took South Africa through to stumps without further mishap.

OPENERS GIVE SOUTH AFRICA SOLID START

At tea the two had taken South Africa to 60 for no wicket. Kirsten had 23 while Dippenaar was on 33.

Dippenaar, who was looking to redeem himself after his second-ball duck in the first Test in Bloemfontein, began nervously against Shayne O’Connor and Chris Martin, playing and missing several times while Kirsten was his usual compact and organised self.

Gradually, though, Dippenaar’s timing improved and when Kerry Walmsley replaced Martin after six overs from the Park Drive End, Dippenaar pulled the new bowler powerfully through midwicket for four.

O’Connor bowled an eight-over spell from the Duckpond End, conceding 19 runs, before making way for Brooke Walker. Each of the South Africans helped themselves to boundaries off the legspinner’s first two overs as they waited for him to drop it short.

The 50 came up after 74 minutes in the 19th over and after just two overs for nine runs, Walker gave way to Nathan Astle.

RECORD FOR SINCLAIR AS NEW ZEALAND REACH 298

Sinclair eventually made 150, bettering the 142 made by John Reid at the Wanderers in 1961/62, as New Zealand managed to post a respectable total after struggling through the first day.

A single off Allan Donald took Sinclair to 143 and he promptly celebrated the record by hitting Nicky Boje straight for six. He scored only one more run, however, before he was deceived by Donald’s slower ball and lobbed a catch to Gary Kirsten at mid on.

In all Sinclair batted for 407 minutes and faced 321 balls, hitting 23 fours and the six.

Donald finished off the innings with his fourth wicket of the innings when he had Kerry Walmsley caught by Daryll Cullinan at first slip for 5. Chris Martin was the not out batsman, also making 5.

Donald’s two post-lunch wickets left him with figures of four for 69 for the innings while Shaun Pollock took four for 64.

SINCLAIR SOLDIERS ON AT ST GEORGE'S PARK

Sinclair went in for his midday meal on 138 with Kerry Walmsley still to open his account. Shayne O’Connor, who made 20, helped Sinclair add 73 for the eighth wicket in a useful rearguard action after South Africa started the day poised to take a firm grip on the match.

Sinclair had been 88 overnight and had a couple of anxious moments during the nineties before reaching three figures. He edged Allan Donald through the gully in the seventh over of the morning to move from 91 to 95 and in Donald’s next over a top edge that flew over the slip cordon’s heads took him to 99.

A single later in the over brought up his hundred after 304 minutes at the crease. He had reached the boundary 17 times. It was the first century by a New Zealand batsman against South Africa since the 1963/64 when Barry Sinclair scored 138 against Trevor Goddard’s tourists at Eden Park.

South Africa had had a chance of breaking through in the previous over when O’Connor, on 5, was dropped by Lance Klusener at third slip off Shaun Pollock. It proved to be an expensive mistake.

With South Africa looking lethargic in the field, the New Zealand pair brought up their fifty partnership after 85 minutes before Klusener put down his second catch, this time standing at second slip after Sinclair (121) had edged Jacques Kallis.

By the second morning of the match the pitch had become easy paced with no great bounce for the South African seamers with left-arm spinner Nicky Boje coming into the attack 30 minutes before lunch.

Boje, and the entire South African team, believed they had Sinclair in the 116th over of the innings. Then on 138 he pushed forward to Boje for Mark Boucher to claim a catch at the wicket. Umpire Rudi Koertzen, however, was unmoved.

The breakthrough for South Africa finally three overs before lunch when Kallis went around the wicket to O’Connor and knocked back the off stump as the batsman shouldered arms.

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Date-stamped : 01 Dec2000 - 18:23