Rachin Ravindra was the hero of the first innings. Kane Willamson’s century was overshadowed by the double ton of the Kiwi legend. However, the second innings century by Kane Williamson would certainly stand out for the Kiwis who took a massive lead in the second innings of the match. The Kiwis are looking in pole position to take the first Test.
Team Lineups
The South African board made a controversial decision by choosing a much weaker side. None of the players who played in the second Test against India at Newlands were chosen for the New Zealand tour. Neil Brand was chosen as the stand-in skipper for South Africa for the tests against New Zealand. The 27 year old has played 52 first class games but has never appeared for the national team in any format. Duanne Olivier is the most experienced player in the team having played 15 previous Test matches. Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza are the other players who have some experience in international cricket.
There were six debutants in the first team of South Africa including the skipper. Batsmen Edward Moore and Raynard van Tonder were among the debutants. Pace bowler Tshepo Moreki and wicketkeeper batsman appeared in the Test team for the first time ever. All-rounder Ruan de Swardt completed the group of debutants. The regular faces on the Test circuit were busy in the domestic T20 league of South Africa. Dane Paterson would lead the South African bowling attack with Duanne Olivier bringing the experience to the fore.
New Zealand made two alterations to the team that played in the second Test match against Bangladesh back in December. After shining for the Kiwis in the 2023 World Cup, Rachin Ravindra made an inspirational comeback to the Test arena after some time. The 24 year old is yet to find his feet in the Test arena. He has scored 73 runs and claimed eight wickets in his short Test career of three Tests. Middle order batsman Henry Nicholls made way for the young all-rounder. Matt Henry came into the team to replace the left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. After his meteoric rise to the international stage, Devon Conway has been struggling for form over the last 12 months. The 32 year old would look to score some runs at the top of the order against the country of his birth.
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New Zealand
1. Zak Crawley 2. Ben Duckett 3. Ollie Pope 4. Joe Root 5. Jonny Bairstow 6. Ben Stokes (Cap.) 7. Ben Foakes (WK) 8. Rehan Ahmed 9. Tom Hartley 10. Shoaib Bashie 11. James Anderson
South Africa
1 Neil Brand (capt), 2 Edward Moore, 3 Raynard van Tonder, 4 Zubayr Hamza, 5 David Bedingham, 6 Keegan Peterson, 7 Ruan de Swardt, 8 Clyde Fortuin (wk), 9 Duanne Olivier, 10 Tshepo Moreki 11 Dane Paterson
South Africa’s debutant stand-in skipper Neil Brand won the coin toss and made a surprising decision to bat first on a solid wicket. The pitch at the Bay Oval is usually a high scoring ground with big totals scored at this ground on a regular basis. The average first innings total at this ground is 272. Teams batting first have won more matches than teams that bowled first. None of the four Test matches at this ground has ended in a draw. In the last two Tests, New Zealand have failed to win. England and Bangladesh have secured impressive wins in the two latest games. The boundaries at this ground are short and huge totals are a regular occurrence at this ground. The pace bowlers might get some assist off the surface with the new ball moving all around the pitch under overcast conditions. The spin bowlers usually find their life difficult with virtually no hint of moisture on the surface. There can be some assistance off the pitch if the pitch deteriorates on the fourth and fifth days.
Fixture
New Zealand and South Africa have met on 47 occasions before this Test. There is a clear pattern in domination between the two sides. South Africa is clear of their Kiwi counterparts with 26 wins. New Zealand has managed only 5 wins from this fixture. 16 of matches have finished in draws. In the tests on New Zealand soil, The home team has secured 2 wins. New Zealand has been a happy hunting ground for the Proteas who have secured nine victories in this Oceanian country. The last Test series between these two teams was played during the 2021-22 season. That two match series ended in a 1-1 draw.
| Venue | The first game of the two match series was played in the picturesque Bay Oval Cricket Ground in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga. |
| Date | The game started on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 10:30. local time. |
Captaincy & Tactics
Batting Analysis
Kane Williamson scored his second century of the match as New Zealand dismissed South Africa for 162 before extending an already substantial lead to a mammoth 528 runs on the third day of the first test at Bay Oval on Tuesday.
The hosts will resume on 179 for four on day four after deciding not to enforce the follow-on on the inexperienced Proteas despite holding a first-innings lead of 349 runs when they bundled the tourists out before tea. Williamson’s 109 from 132 deliveries on another sun-kissed day at Mount Maunganui made him only the fifth New Zealander to score a hundred in each innings of a test. The former Black Caps captain came to the crease after Dane Paterson had removed opener Tom Latham lbw for three in the fifth over of New Zealand’s innings.
Scoring at a pace that appeared beyond the other batsmen on a tricky pitch, the 33-year-old brought up his 34th test half century off 75 balls and his 31st century with a single through the covers off the 125th delivery he faced. As in the first innings, he had a life courtesy of Edward Moore halfway through his innings when the South African dropped a sitter off Paterson at backward square leg.
Moore made amends in the next over with a brilliant diving catch to remove Devon Conway for 29 off the spin of South Africa’s test debutant captain Neil Brand. A Brand catch off a Ruan de Swardt delivery ensured there would be no second-innings heroics for Rachin Ravindra, who scored 240 in the first but departed for 12.
Williamson pummelled the first six of his innings after reaching the century mark but was stumped after advancing down the track in search of another five balls later to give Brand his eighth wicket of the match.
Daryl Mitchell will resume on day four unbeaten on 11 with Tom Blundell five not out alongside him as New Zealand look to make an all but unassailable position even stronger.
The tourists, boasting only 51 caps between them as Cricket South Africa prioritises their Twenty20 competition (SA20), resumed on 80-4 and added only three runs to their tally when seamer Matt Henry struck with two wickets in three balls. Keegan Petersen’s innings of 45 extended his team’s innings beyond the lunch break but all-rounder Ravindra had him caught by Williamson off a rash shot and it was then just a case of mopping up for New Zealand.
New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a test series in nearly a century of trying. The second and final test in the series takes place in Hamilton from February 13.
Bowling Analysis
Williamson backed up his 118 in the first innings with by blitzing his way to a 31st test century off only 125 balls late on day three. Williamson was eventually stumped for 109, as New Zealand closed the day at 179/4, 528 runs ahead.
The purple patch continues for the Kiwi skipper, who has now scored five centuries from his last eight innings. The Proteas will need to create history of their own if they are to win this test as they will require the highest ever successful fourth innings chase. New Zealand opted not to enforce the follow on after dismissing South Africa for just 162 in their first innings with a mammoth lead of 349 runs.
It took just five overs for the hosts to pick up their first scalp of the morning, as David Bedingham tried to pull a short Matt Henry delivery only to top edge it into the safe hands of Mitch Santner. Just two balls later, Ruan de Swardt looked to leave Henry but the ball just managed to shave his pad and the finger was raised. De Swardt reviewed but replays showed just enough of the stump clipped as the Proteas found themselves in a deep hole at 83/6.
A stubborn 17-over stand saw some resistance from the tourists before Clyde Fortuin nine-run 52-ball stand ended when he chipped one straight to short cover. Approaching a half century, Keegan Petersen threw his wicket away as he tried to launch Rachin Ravindra out of the ground, only to find the New Zealand captain at mid-off.
Having taken a wicket with his first ball in test cricket, debutant Tshepo Moreki couldn’t produce the same magic with the bat, clean bowled by Santner for just five as South Africa lost their ninth and Santner claimed his 50th test wicket. Ravindra’s golden summer continued as he wrapped up the first innings with a flighted delivery which beat Dane Peterson all ends and crashed into the off stump.
Santner would end with figures of 3/34 while Henry claimed 3/31.
“That first hour really set the tone for us, we were able to create pressure, we talked about that last night, when you build pressure it can be very tricky to score runs out here and the wickets came from that.”
In their second innings, the Black Caps lost Tom Latham early as Petersen had him trapped LBW for just three. Devon Conway and Williamson put on 92 for the second wicket, before Conway was caught for 29 looking for back to back sixes.
Looking to increase the run rate, Rachin Ravindra couldn’t back up his first innings heroics and held out to short cover for 12. With only three overs remaining in the day, Williamson, on 99, rocked back in his crease and cut Neil Brand away for a single to create history with back to back tons. He now sits 13th on the all time list for centuries in tests. After Williamson’s dismissal, Tom Blundell joined Mitchell in the middle with the pair surviving until stumps, Mitchell 11 not out and Blundell on five.
Fielding Analysis
The fielding performance of the Kiwis was quite enjoyable to watch. They were disciplined throughout the innings, taking catches regularly to thwart the progress of their opponents. South Africa also displayed prowess and determination in the field. There were some brilliant individual performances to keep the Kiwi batters in check. But the class and form of Kane Williamson was too much for the inexperienced Proteas side.
Tim Southee’s men remain one of the teams to beat in this tournament. The twin defeats in Dharamshala to India and Australia may have somewhat taken the wind out of their sails after a solid start, but they will take inspiration from their rugby compatriots as well as their own performances – especially from how close they came to overhauling a near-400 run target against their trans-Tasman opponents – when they face South Africa.
Key Performances
Kane Williamson scored his second century of the match as New Zealand dismissed South Africa for 162 before extending an already substantial lead to a mammoth 528 runs on the third day of the first test at Bay Oval on Tuesday.
The hosts will resume on 179 for four on day four after deciding not to enforce the follow-on on the inexperienced Proteas despite holding a first-innings lead of 349 runs when they bundled the tourists out before tea. Williamson’s 109 from 132 deliveries on another sun-kissed day at Mount Maunganui made him only the fifth New Zealander to score a hundred in each innings of a test. The former Black Caps captain came to the crease after Dane Paterson had removed opener Tom Latham lbw for three in the fifth over of New Zealand’s innings.
Scoring at a pace that appeared beyond the other batsmen on a tricky pitch, the 33-year-old brought up his 34th test half century off 75 balls and his 31st century with a single through the covers off the 125th delivery he faced.
As in the first innings, he had a life courtesy of Edward Moore halfway through his innings when the South African dropped a sitter off Paterson at backward square leg.
Moore made amends in the next over with a brilliant diving catch to remove Devon Conway for 29 off the spin of South Africa’s test debutant captain Neil Brand.
A Brand catch off a Ruan de Swardt delivery ensured there would be no second-innings heroics for Rachin Ravindra, who scored 240 in the first but departed for 12.
Williamson pummelled the first six of his innings after reaching the century mark but was stumped after advancing down the track in search of another five balls later to give Brand his eighth wicket of the match.
Daryl Mitchell will resume on day four unbeaten on 11 with Tom Blundell five not out alongside him as New Zealand look to make an all but unassailable position even stronger.
The tourists, boasting only 51 caps between them as Cricket South Africa prioritises their Twenty20 competition (SA20), resumed on 80-4 and added only three runs to their tally when seamer Matt Henry struck with two wickets in three balls.
Keegan Petersen’s innings of 45 extended his team’s innings beyond the lunch break but all-rounder Ravindra had him caught by Williamson off a rash shot and it was then just a case of mopping up for New Zealand.
New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a test series in nearly a century of trying. The second and final test in the series takes place in Hamilton from February 13.
Turning Point
The turning point of the sexond day came after Rachin Ravindra came out to bat with Kane Williamson. The pair scored a partnership of unbeaten 219 runs with shots played all around the ground. New Zealand dominated the first innings, amassing 511 runs over 144 overs and 5 sessions.
Kane Williamson’s solid 118 and Rachin Ravindra’s exceptional 240 laid the foundation for the Kiwis’ substantial lead against South Africa. Despite Neil Brand’s remarkable 6-wicket haul as the Proteas’ debut skipper, quickfire contributions from Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, and Matt Henry helped New Zealand breach the 500-run mark. In response, South Africa struggled against the strong Kiwi bowling attack, failing to build significant partnerships despite starts from Edward Moore, Zubayr Hamza, and David Bedingham. Keegan Petersen top-scored with 45 runs, but South Africa collapsed for 162, trailing by 349 runs. The sorry-looking batting scorecard reflected their inability to counter New Zealand’s bowling onslaught, leaving them facing an uphill battle.
Day Result
New Zealand are 518 runs ahead after the completion of day three.
Brief Scorecard
| New Zealand First Innings: | South Africa First Innings: | New Zealand Second Innings: | |
Day Highlights
Day Wrap-Up
It was another special day for the Kiwis who strengthened their grip on the game thanks to a brilliant Williamson ton. This innings is contrastive to the nature of the first – this one was more expressive and flamboyant. The Kiwis would look to pile on the pressure on New Zealand on day 4 as the South Africans are feeling the pressure already.
