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An ailing Chris Harris and a stubborn Gary Stead rescued the New Zealand first innings from disaster against South Africa on the opening day of the third cricket test at the Basin Reserve.

The Canterbury pair provided backbone to a first innings which was headed for oblivion at 58 for four.

The fighting fifth-wicket stand, worth 145, was broken just before stumps, enabling South Africa to reclaim yesterday's honours, with New Zealand 211 for six.

Harris, suffering in the latter stages of his innings from a stomach upset, battled through to be unbeaten on 66 in 225 minutes, from 172 balls.

Showing typical Harris humour, and trying to make light of his plight, Harris waved his bat to acknowledge the crowd when it saw his difficulty. Harris was physically ill, but recovered quickly and, after stumps, completed a warm down with the team.

Stead, also a replacement, for the injured Craig McMillan, showed similar fortitude against the Proteas' four-pronged pace attack, which found conditions to its liking, with the ball swinging about. Harris was peppered with short-pitched balls early in his innings to test his technique and resolve after being dismissed for a duck fending off a rising delivery in the second test.

While not always technically correct, Harris combated the ribcage barrage to take New Zealand to the brink of first-day honours, before Stead steered a Steve Elworthy delivery near Shaun Pollock at third slip.

Pollock, who had bowled 20 overs, was still agile enough to drag in a wonderful slip catch.

Five of the six batsmen dismissed fell to catches behind the wicket. Nightwatchman Daniel Vettori followed soon after and it was a questionable decision to insert Vettori ahead of Adam Parore and Dion Nash to face the second new ball.

Elworthy, while not in Allan Donald's class, proved an admirable replacement for the injured speedster, returning test-best figures of four for 58 from 21 overs. Tall, lean, and of brisk pace, he spearheaded a constantly probing Proteas attack.

The visitors made early inroads after Nash won his third successive toss and batted on a warm Wellington day. In Christchurch the Black Caps self-destructed, but yesterday the South African pace bowlers delivered a testing line and, when the edges were found, the catches stuck.