For significant parts of the opening day in Port Elizabeth, New Zealand
pushed South Africa reasonably hard, which is much more than happened
last week at Newlands. There were spells of testing bowling, a fair
amount of playing and missing and some blows for the batsmen to take.
However, the final scoreline, anchored by Hashim Amla's 19th Test
hundred, is a story of South Africa dominance on a surface that
certainly was not placid.
Whether South Africa's bowlers would have got more out of the pitch in
the first session will remain unknown, but Brendon McCullum certainly
looked relieved when he did not have to make a decision at the toss when
the coin fell Graeme Smith's way. Few expect New Zealand to draw level
in the series, but they needed to build on the improvement shown after
the horrid start in Cape Town when McCullum won the toss, chose to bat
and they were bundled out for 45.
Without putting South Africa on the back foot at any stage they at least
ensured it was not one-way traffic. They bowled better before lunch
than one wicket suggested, although struggled to build pressure with a
steady supply of loose deliveries, and the first hour of the afternoon
brought the significant blows of Smith and Jacques Kallis to leave South
Africa 137 for 3.
The key moment of the day, though, came a few moments later when Amla,
48, failed to keep a back-cut down against Trent Boult but Kane
Williamson could not hold on at gully. During New Zealand's tour of Sri
Lanka late last year, Williamson held some stunning catches. This one
was tough, but easier than those - and one New Zealand desperately
needed to take. From there, Amla's century felt inevitable.
Three balls later he went to his fifty with a square cut, and it was the
same shot that took him to a hundred during the final session from 187
balls. It was not Amla at his most flamboyant, as was the case in
Australia on occasion, and for that New Zealand's bowlers deserve some
credit even if the finishing touch was still often missing with a
boundary-ball offered to keep the scoreboard moving. Neither is patience
a problem for Amla and he was happy to wait, rather than try to
manufacture too much on the first day.
Amla's catch was not the only missed opportunity for New Zealand. Facing
the second new ball, Faf du Plessis gloved Boult down the leg side but
was given not out. After some deliberation McCullum did not review only
for HotSpot to clearly show the touch. Du Plessis, much to the amusement
of the South Africa changing room, tried his hardest not to let on what
had happened. He also had some problems against Jeetan Patel with one
edge falling tantalisingly short of McCullum at slip.
However, like Amla, du Plessis was hungry to make New Zealand pay for
their mistake. He went to his fifty with a crunching pull that cleared
deep midwicket and benefited from the second new ball as the extra
hardness helped it run away. The fifth-wicket stand was worth 102 by the
close. In reality, this was still men against boys.
There was early movement on offer in Port Elizabeth's first Test since
2007. The crowd was not massive although, hopefully, over the weekend
that will improve. For their sake it was good that New Zealand could not
be blown away in a session again. Alviro Petersen did not survive the
opening hour, top edging Doug Bracewell to fine leg when he was not
fully committed to the shot.
Bracewell was the pick of New Zealand's seamers and troubled Smith, who
was not at his best, including clonking him on the back of the helmet as
Smith turned his head away from a bouncer. Smith needed a few minutes
to compose himself and was close to being lbw a few moments later. That
was a curious piece of cricket: the umpire said not out, McCullum
decided not to review and replays showed it was hitting middle but
Bracewell had overstepped.
Smith's outside edge was located by all three seamers, but he was good
enough to keep the ball short of the slips and benefited from a couple
of boundaries to third man. Neil Wagner, the left-armer who was recalled
in place of Chris Martin, caused some tricky moments but had a tendency
to bowl a touch short.
As Smith so often does, he stuck in and reached fifty from 80 balls but
then glanced a delivery from Wagner down the leg side. For Wagner it was
an emotional wicket against a side that includes former team-mates. His
later contest with AB de Villiers, who went past 6000 runs, certainly
had an extra level of intrigue.
Kallis began with an imperious pull but got an inside edge driving at
Bracewell, leaving Amla and de Villiers to ensure there was no
significant wobbles in the middle of the day as they consolidated
against the workmanlike attack. The pair added 86 for the fourth wicket
until de Villiers lazily gave his innings away when he chipped Patel to
midwicket. It was a waste from de Villiers, a mistake that Amla was not
going to make.
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