Day 4 of 5:
South Africa 364 and 354/9 decl.
New Zealand 293 and 94/4
Johannesburg - Kagiso Rabada removed both New Zealand openers to put South Africa on the brink of a series-tying win at Hagley on Monday after Kyle Verreynne’s maiden Test century lit up the first half of the day’s play.
After setting the home team 426 to win, thanks to Verreynne’s unbeaten 136, Rabada, had Will Young caught in the gully off the third ball of the innings and then Tom Latham caught at short leg to start the second over, Keshav Maharaj then bowled Henry Nicholls to put New Zealand firmly in survival mode and later added the wicket of Daryl Mitchell - dismissing him for the second time in the match..
Verreynne’s century gave South Africa a significant advantage after the match was delicately poised at the start of the fourth day. He and Wiaan Mulder grew their sixth wicket partnership to 78 runs by playing aggressively in the first hour.
Verreynne took advantage against anything short, cutting and pulling with authority and looking more confident with the bat than he has at any point in his short Test career. This was a critical innings for him, not just in terms of his own self-belief, but also the match situation. Verreynne started his innings amidst the fury of Neil Wagner’s spell of bouncers on Sunday with South Africa’s lead just 174.
He carefully negotiated that period and on Monday flourished against the older ball, as he and Mulder did more than just keep the Black Caps at bay, but attacked when provided width or the length was short enough for Verreynne to play his favourite shots square of the wicket.
After Mulder fell for 35, thanks to an excellent catch by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, and Marco Jansen was caught by a ridiculous running/diving/one-handed effort by Will Young at midwicket, the rhythm of the day and ultimately the match changed.
Kagiso Rabada smashed an outrageous 47 off only 34 balls to completely floor New Zealand. It was clean hitting, down the ground, with four sixes belted in an arc between long-off and mid-wicket, waking up some in the small crowd who were enjoying a lazy sunny Monday in Christchurch.
South Africa scored 50 runs in 20 minutes after lunch, stunning the Kiwis and blowing the lead out beyond the 350-run mark.
Verreynne had understandably been happy to feed Rabada the strike, but then joined in the fun too, unleashing some lovely cover drives to go with the shots square of the wicket. Served a leg-stump half volley gift by Matt Henry on 98 he tucked the ball to the midwicket boundary and rightly celebrated his landmark achievement in animated fashion.
🚫 DAY 4 | STUMPS
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 28, 2022
The #Proteas added 214 runs to their overnight score before the declaration came and are just 6 wickets away from claiming victory in the second Test
🇳🇿 @BLACKCAPS 94/4 and require a further 332 runs for victory#NZvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/P6Di49eGKL
The situation of the match had demanded someone make a ‘big play’ and Verreynne did so superbly, in the process easing some of the pressure on his own shoulders and giving South African viewers hope that the future doesn’t have to be so murky following Quinton de Kock’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this summer.
Verreynne finished on 136 not out, facing 187 balls, hitting 16 fours and a six, and his positivity on the back of Rabada’s awesome assault saw South Africa set New Zealand 426 to win.
Rabada wasted no time getting amongst the home team’s opener’s, and probably still buoyed by his batting, had Young and Latham dismissed by the end of the third over.
Keshav Maharaj’s selection was one that surprised friend and foe, but it showed that the tourists had read the conditions - which were much drier than the first Test - properly. Maharaj had already contributed valuable runs in South Africa’s first innings, claimed two vital wickets in New Zealand’s second innings.
🔁 DAY 4 | DECLARATION
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 28, 2022
Kyle Verreynne's unbeaten maiden Test ton (136*) was the backbone of the #Proteas innings as captain Dean Elgar calls the batters off the field on 354/9 🇿🇦
🎯 New Zealand will require 426 runs for victory#NZvSA #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/TXEgCQENNE
It took just two balls for him to deceive the in-form Henry Nicholls, who didn’t account for so much spin and bounce and was bowled for seven.
Maharaj then patiently worked away at Daryl Mitchell who he’d dismissed in the first innings with a quicker delivery, mixing up his pace and flight and carefully positioning fielders on the leg side after the New Zealand batter had struck him for a pair of sixes, he prayed on the batter’s patience and provided a thorough examination of his technique.
The hammer blow came 20 minutes before stumps as Maharaj drew Mitchell forward and then spun one passed the outside edge of the right hander’s bat, knocking back the top of off-stump. It was a sublime bit of bowling that put the cherry on top of what had been a tasty Monday cake for the Proteas.
Devon Conway survived to be 60 not out, but he will have a lot of work ahead of him on Tuesday to deny South Africa a series-tying win.
@shockerhess