KIRSTEN GOES AS SOUTH AFRICA START THEIR REPLY

At stumps the home side were 18 for one with Boeta Dippenaar not out on 5 and nightwatchman Nicky Boje still to open his account.

Kirsten lost his wicket two balls before the umpires offered the light to the South African batsmen and was clearly annoyed when he left the field, probably because he felt that the light was not good enough to bat in.

He was caught at short leg by Mark Richardson for 10 off the second ball of Chris Martin’s third over and Boje faced just two deliveries before play was called off for the day.

With no play possible on Friday’s first day, New Zealand were sent in to bat by Shaun Pollock at the start of the second and the South African seam attack backed up the captain’s decision by sharing the New Zealand wickets among five bowlers. Makhaya Ntini was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 29, while new cap Mfuneko Ngam took two for 34, Pollock two for 41, Jacques Kallis two for 26 and Lance Klusener one for 43.

LONE HAND FROM MARSHALL AS KIWIS ARE BOWLED OUT FOR 200

Marshall, who took 61 minutes to score his first Test run, had to play mostly a lone hand after the tourists’ middle order had collapsed before tea.

He shared a dogged seventh wicket partnership with Brooke Walker that was worth only 31 to New Zealand, but which took up 18 overs. The stand was finally broken by Lance Klusener who trapped Walker leg before for 17 at 148 for seven.

A further 26 was added for the eighth wicket as Daryl Tuffey, back in the side for the injured Kerry Walmsley, joined Marshall, but Mfuneko Ngam eventually accounted for Tuffey for 8, claiming his second Test wicket as Tuffey drove at one that left him to give Mark Boucher his second catch of the innings behind the wicket.

Shayne O’Connor stayed for 36 minutes in making 9 before he edged Shaun Pollock to Jacques Kallis at second slip at 199 for nine, and it was Kallis who ended the innings when he bowled Chris Martin for a five-ball duck.

South Africa were left to bat out nine overs before the close.

NTINI ON FIRE AS NEW ZEALAND COLLAPSE

Two wickets in the space of five balls immediately after the interval rocked the tourists back on their heels and then Makhaya Ntini claimed the prized scalps of Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle as New Zealand staggered to tea at 121 for six.

Mfuneko Ngam, desperately unlucky to have gone wicketless during his opening spell in the morning, started the rot with the fourth ball after the break when he got one to bounce slightly on Mark Richardson and Mark Boucher took a straightforward catch at the wicket. Richardson did not add to his lunchtime 46 and New Zealand were 83 for two.

Four balls later it was 83 for three as Mathew Sinclair steered Shaun Pollock to Lance Klusener at third slip. It was a tame dismissal and Sinclair, who also did not add to his lunchtime 26, was clearly annoyed with himself.

Fleming and Astle spent 14 overs trying rebuild the innings, but the recovery produced only a further 29 runs for New Zealand before Ntini came back for a penetrative second spell.

He yorked Fleming for 14, the New Zealand captain playing all around the ball, and in his next over found the edge of Astle’s bat for Jacques Kallis to take the catch at second slip. Astle’s departure for 12 left New Zealand at 113 for five.

Hamish Marshall’s first ball in Test cricket was a yorker from Ntini which he just managed to keep out with the toe of his bat and his boot and in Ntini’s next over he was struck on the helmet as he tried to duck away from a bouncer.

With New Zealand now concerned only with survival, Craig McMillan lasted 31 minutes for 4 before Kallis got one to lift and move away and Lance Klusener took the edge at second slip. Brooke Walker joined Marshall at 117 for six and the pair saw New Zealand through to tea.

Ntini’s second spell brought him two for 13 in eight overs and at tea his figures read 15-9-19-3.

KIWIS PROFIT FROM SPATE OF DROPPED CATCHES

With all of Friday lost to rain, the South Africans could have made deep inroads into the New Zealand batting had they held their chances, but just one wicket fell before lunch with the tourists going in at the break at 83 for one. Mark Richardson was on 46 with Mathew Sinclair on 24.

The luckless Mfuneko Ngam produced an impressive opening spell in his maiden Test match, deserving far better than two dropped catches as he settled quickly to bowl with good pace and control.

Daryll Cullinan, at first slip, and Boeta Dippenaar, at short leg, were the guilty South African fielders, although to be fair to Dippenaar, both his chances were extremely difficult.

Ngam nearly made a dramatic start to his international career when he should have had a wicket with his fifth delivery and fourth legal ball of his opening spell. Adam Parore, opening the batting after New Zealand dropped Craig Spearman, pushed tentatively forward and an edge flew waist-high to Cullinan where the ball popped in and out of the fielder’s hands.

Parore had not scored when the life was given and his survived a second chance on 3 when an inside edge from Shaun Pollock flew past Boeta Dippenaar. Dippenaar got a hand to the ball, but it would have been a remarkable catch had he taken it.

There was more luck in store for Parore on 8 with Cullinan again the culprit and Ngam the unfortunate bowler. This time the edge flew chest-high and to the right of first slip and although it was a more difficult chance than the first, Cullinan again got his hands to the ball but could not hold onto it.

When Parore was on 10 he survived a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket off an side edge off Pollock, with Dave Orchard the unconvinced umpire, before the South Africans missed their fourth catch of the morning.

This time Richardson, on 18, was the beneficiary after Makhaya Ntini had replaced Pollock at the Corlett Drive end. Dippenaar got a hand to another inside edge, but could not grasp the ball. Like the first chance to Dippenaar, it would have been an extraordinary catch had he held it.

Parore’s luck finally ran out after he had been becalmed on 10 for 56 minutes. Ntini got one to kick off the shoulder of the bat and Neil McKenzie took a gentle catch running in from point. The first New Zealand wicket had fallen on 37.

Through all of this Richardson had stood firm, playing with characteristic patience, but tucking the loose deliveries away especially when the South Africans strayed onto his legs.

Sinclair, who came in at the fall of Parore’s wicket, looked comfortable right from the start, clearly full of confidence after his 150 in Port Elizabeth, and had hit five boundaries by lunch, four of them coming off Lance Klusener through the off side.

POLLOCK SENDS NEW ZEALAND IN TO BAT

Friday’s first day was completely washed out by rain.

New Zealand made two changes to the team that lost the second Test match in Port Elizabeth last weekend. Hamish Marshall was brought in to make his Test debut in place of opening batsman Craig Spearman with Adam Parore expected to move up the order to open. Daryl Tuffey, meanwhile, returned to the team in place of the injured Kerry Walmsley.

In the South African team, Mfuneko Ngam was winning his first Test cap for the injured Allan Donald.

Teams

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje, Shaun Pollock (capt), Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam.

New Zealand: Mark Richardson, Adam Parore, Mathew Sinclair, Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Hamish Marshall, Brooke Walker, Shayne O’Connor, Chris Martin, Daryl Tuffey.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 10 Dec2000 - 06:26