The new-look South African side was handed a tough initiation into Test cricket as New Zealand wrapped up a comprehensive 281-run win at the end of the fourth day in Mount Maunganui. South Africa will perhaps believe they got better as the game went on but even that was grossly insufficient in the end. Kyle Jamieson picked four wickets and Mitchell Santner bagged three as South Africa were bowled out for 247 in the chase. Kane Williamson with Tons in each innings and Rachin Ravindra’s double ton boosted Blackcaps batting.
New Zealand, who had opted against enforcing follow-on and piled on their lead, declared overnight to ask South Africa to chase a daunting 529 in the remaining six sessions. An all-round bowling effort – led by Jamieson – ensured the home side needed a little less than half of that to take a 1-0 lead.
Pitch and Toss
The pitch at Bay Oval is known for its balance, offering a fair contest between bat and ball. Batters need to exercise patience and precision in their shot selection, while bowlers can anticipate consistent seam movement throughout the match. Seamers are likely to play a significant role in exploiting the conditions and making an impact on the game.
For the records Back in 2019, veteran Kiwi pacer Neil Wagner bagged an eight-wicket in the match against England. The average run rate has been less than three, showing that batters have found it tough to score quick runs in Tests on this ground.
Mount Maunganui has played host to four Test matches. New Zealand have a 2-2 win-loss record at this venue. Notably, the Blackcaps suffered defeat in the last two Tests played on this ground. Tim Southee’s men will aim to avoid a hat-trick of losses. The New Zealand team will be led by experienced pacer Tim Southee. The 14-member squad includes star batter Kane Williamson along with the young sensation Rachin Ravindra.
On the other hand, South Africa are fielding a weakened squad due to many of their regular red-ball players participating in the SA20 League. The uncapped Neil Brand will captain the squad, which features seven other uncapped players.
South African batter Neil Brand won the toss and opted to bowl.
Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra centuries guide NZ on Day 1
Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson gave the new and inexperienced South African XI a taste of a tough day in Tests as they consolidated comprehensively after the visitors made a good start to life in Mount Maunganui. The duo hit unbeaten hundreds and dragged New Zealand to 258 for 2 at stumps. This was Williamson’s 30th Test century while Ravindra got to three-figures for the first time in the format.
Right-arm fast bowler Tshepo Moreki had a dream start to his Test career as he had Devon Conway trapped leg before on the first ball of his career to leave New Zealand on 1 for 1. Dane Peterson, who tied down New Zealand well all day, broke through next – having Tom Latham nicking to Clyde Fortuin.
Ravindra was then joined by Williamson at 39 for 2, who initially rebuilt rather cautiously. They dragged New Zealand to 65 for 2 at Lunch and then began to inch forward again after the break. Though South Africa didn’t find a way through the partnership, they did create chances – only to be undone by reviews and their own fielding lapses.
Ravindra also rode his luck when outside edge flew over the slip cordon in the final session as South Africa let shoulders drop with every added run to New Zealand and the duo’s tally. The fast bowling trio of Duanne Olivier (19 overs), Dane Peterson (22 overs) and Tshepo Moreki (22 overs) bowled long spells through the day without much to show for it. Captain Neil Brand gave his quicks a break by bringing himself on occasionally but his left-arm spin was also dealt with.
Towards the end of the day, Williamson got to his century – 17th at home – with a pull off a short ball from Moreki. An over later from Peterson, Ravindra brought up his landmark. They didn’t let the milestones mess with their concentration as they went to stumps unscathed.
Rachin Ravindra’s double ton puts New Zealand in control on Day 2.
Rachin Ravindra’s first three-figure score in Tests proved to be a massive one as the 24-year-old finished with a mammoth 240 off 366 balls. New Zealand’s endeavour to bury an inexperienced South Africa under a mountain of runs was underway as they posted 511 before being bowled out. In response, South Africa limped to 80f or 4 at stumps
South Africa started afresh on Day 2 after being made to toil hard by the Williamson-Ravindra combination and broke through early. Williamson went for an uncharacteristic hoick across the line and was caught by Tshepo Moreki at mid-on. This gave Ruan de Swardt his first Test wicket, after missing out twice on Day 1 due to dropped catches.
That, however, didn’t change the course of wind in the game as Daryl Mitchell joined Ravindra and added 103 runs off 25.4 overs. Ravindra played with a lot of fluency through the day, as his knock was laced with 26 fours and 3 sixes. He went from one alliance to another to keep South Africa on their toes even as they picked wickets.
New Zealand further established their firm grip on the game when their bowlers came out and relentlessly wiped out South Africa’s top-order. It started with the wicket of Brand, who failed to take his bat out of the way fully in time while trying to leave a delivery from Kyle Jamieson and nicked it behind to Blundell.
Raynard van Tonder was then trapped leg before two balls later in the same over. Henry ended Edward Moore’s short but watchful stay with a bouncer which the batter awkwardly fended against. The ball ballooned up and Devon Conway completed a good catch at cover point.
Zubayr Hamza was the fourth to fall, in similar fashion to Ravindra while attempting to take on the spinner – Mitchell Santner in this case. South Africa finished the day four down and a deficit of 431 runs.
New Zealand take lead past 500 as Kane Williamson scores another ton on Day 3.
Kane Williamson scored his second century of the opening Test against South Africa at Mount Maunganui as New Zealand’s lead soared past 500 at stumps on Day 3. The home side’s urge to keep piling on the runs meant they didn’t enforce follow-on after bundling out South Africa for just 162 in the first innings. They then finished the day on 179 for 4, with Williamson getting 109 of those.
The day began with South Africa on 80 for 4, trailing massively after New Zealand amassed 511 in the first innings. For the addition of 47 runs they lost three wickets in the morning session, even as Keegan Petersen played defiantly. That however, was broken through soon the post-Lunch session by New Zealand’s double-centurion Rachin Ravindra.
Petersen went after a ball that turned away from him and took a leading edge down the ground. Not for the first time in the game, Williamson combined with Ravindra as he ran back from mid-on to complete the catch. From 152 for 8, South Africa were bowled out for the addition of 10 more runs, well short of the home side’s total.
New Zealand however decided to bat again. Once again South Africa had a promising start with the ball as Dane Peterson got one length ball to tail back into Tom Latham and trapped him leg before. Once again however, South Africa couldn’t make several inroads. Devon Conway and Williamson added a fluent 92-run stand.
Much to South Africa’s misery, Williamson got a reprieve in the second innings too when Edward Moore dropped a sitter at deep midwicket. He however, got instant redemption by pouching a blinder in just the next over, when he ran in and completed the catch just inches off the ground.
New Zealand on a roll
The new-look South African side was handed a tough initiation into Test cricket as New Zealand wrapped up a comprehensive 281-run win at the end of the fourth day in Mount Maunganui. South Africa will perhaps believe they got better as the game went on but even that was grossly insufficient in the end. Kyle Jamieson picked four wickets and Mitchell Santner bagged three as South Africa were bowled out for 247 in the chase.
New Zealand, who had opted against enforcing follow-on and piled on their lead, declared overnight to ask South Africa to chase a daunting 529 in the remaining six sessions. An all-round bowling effort – led by Jamieson – ensured the home side needed a little less than half of that to take a 1-0 lead.
The day began with Tim Southee cleaning up his opposite number Neil Brand with a lovely inswinger that went through the left-hander’s defence and crashed the stumps. Matt Henry then got Edward Moore to drive away from his body and nick one to Devon Conway. Raynard van Tonder and Zubayr Hamza arrested the early slide and remained unscathed until Lunch.
But they couldn’t keep their defiance up in the post-Lunch session as Jamieson broke through early. Jamieson tempted Van Tonder with a full ball outside the off-stump and the batter took the bait – attempting to drive away from his body and nicking to Tom Latham at first slip. In his next over, he sent Hamza packing with a short ball that the batter miscued to Southee at mid-on.
Bendingham’s caution-to-the-winds approach was also his downfall when he went for a big pull against Jamieson in the first over of the final session, even as New Zealand stationed four fielders in the deep on the leg side. He top-edged it and Santner came in from deep square leg to complete the catch. Petersen too got sucked into going after a short ball, on the leg side this time, and holed out to the long leg fielder to give Jamieson his fourth wicket.
From 181 for 6, South Africa were set for a downward slide even as Ruan de Swardt attempted a mini-fightback. He however, didn’t have enough support at the other end as Santner stepped in to wrap the game up. He had Duanne Olivier caught at first slip with a flighted delivery, set up Tshepo Moreki by getting one ball to turn and the next to go with the trajectory and trap him leg before and then completed the win when Dane Paterson slogged one to Kane Williamson at long-on.
Presentations and Road Ahead.
Tim Southee the winning captain said :
“On a good surface, the batters set it up and the bowlers picked up 20 wickets. Very pleasing. We had great preparation. They compete. They are a proud nation. When you come to the Mount, it does offer that little bit more later in the Test,”
“Pleasing to see Mitch Santner coming back into the team. We got better as the Test went on. As a group we were a bit better in the second innings. We would enjoy this one. Lot of focus will shift back to the next Test,”
Neil Brand the Losing captain said :
“Very deflating. Felt we were in the game. Outplayed by a very good NZ team. Our patience was tested on this wicket. Back to the drawing board and hope we can compete better. Disappointing to lose a wicket after a lunch break or drinks. The dressing room is hurting a lot. Massive honor picking up 6 wickets.”
Rachin Ravindra, Player of the Match for his 240 said :
“Any capacity to a team victory is extremely pleasing. Happy that we got the job done. I will rate this very highly. We are all humble and just do the right things (smiles). He (KW) has got 31 Test tons and I only have one. The beauty of this team is that as long as you are trying, you feel the belonging to the team. The coach and the management ensure that,”
It’s all over on day 4. It seemed so when NZ declared overnight ahead of the start today. The conditions were overcast and the openers fell in the first couple of overs. But then van Tonder and Hamza batted well and went into lunch. But both perished after lunch. Then the Bedingham and Petersen partnership flourished as the former just went hell for leather and racked up some quick runs. He fell after tea and then it was just about a matter of time. Jamieson got a four-fer. Santner a three-fer again.
And NZ won by a huge margin of 281 runs. It was all set up the by the first innings of the Test. Ravindra got a double ton and Williamson got a hundred and followed it up with another ton in the second innings when NZ decided to bat again in search of some quick runs. 529 as a target was always on the lines of being over optimistic and SA never ever threatened that.
It was a one-sided battle. Given SA have fielded a very young and inexperienced side, the story might be the same in the next Test as well. History beckons NZ as they will be on the verge of beating a SA team in Tests. But there were a few positives with the bat for SA like Hamza, Bedingham and Petersen. They would want to score big next time around. The NZ team as usual will look to be as professional as they can be.