Africa-Press – South-Africa. Another mediocre batting display from the Proteas saw New Zealand complete a 281-run in the first Test at Bay Oval in Mt. Maunganui on Wednesday.
It was the biggest victory for New Zealand over South Africa in terms of runs and their second largest in that category in Tests. Victory was not unexpected for the Black Caps, not even a dominant one. Besides home ground advantage, they have far too much experience and class and in Mt. Maunganui out-bowled the Proteas.However the disappointing aspect for the tourists was their batting. First they packed it, going into the match with eight seven batters, plus wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin. They forewent the option of a front-line spinner and having done so, omitted an option that may have provided a bigger threat with the ball.
As a result more was expected of the batting unit. There was more experience, especially of the first class game and in terms of ability, arguably more of it among the batters than the bowlers. But in two innings they were bowled out for totals of 162 and 247.The nature and timing of dismissals indicated a team lacking experience but there were also too many cheap dismissals for players with so much first class experience.
Wednesday’s play began with New Zealand duly declaring on their overnight total of 179/4, a lead of 528 runs. It didn’t take them long to start making inroads, with both of SA’s openers; skipper Neil Brand and Ed Moore, back in the dressing room before the shine had been knocked off the ball.
Raynard van Tonder, who made a two ball duck in the first innings, got off the mark in Test cricket on Wednesday, making 31 as part of a 63-run third wicket partnership with Zubayr Hamza who scored 36.
A pattern developed in this Test in which South Africa’s batters were dismissed shortly after breaks or the start of the day with Hamza and Van Tonder on Wednesday dismissed just after lunch.David Bedingham provided the highlight of the South African batting performance with a swashbuckling knock of 87 off only 96 balls in which flayed the short ball and smashed 13 fours and three sixes.
It was a performance that may have thrilled the small crowd, but how it helps his Test career only time will tell. A hundred would have been nice, but the manner in which Bedingham played meant he always ran the risk of finding a fielder, which is what he did, immediately after tea when he pulled Kyle Jamieson to Mitchell Santner at deep midwicket.
The pattern of wickets falling after breaks continued, with Keegan Petersen following Bedingham a few overs later, when he was out pulling as well, hitting the ball to deep backward square leg where Rachin Ravindra took a good tumbling catch.
It was a poor dismissal in what has been a disappointing Test for Petersen, who out of all the Proteas batters, needs a big innings to cement a spot before the nationally contracted players return later in the year.He made a battling 45 in the first innings and ran out of partners but Wednesday offered the chance for a lengthy stay at the crease and giving his wicket away in the manner he did after making only 16, was extremely disappointing.
New Zealand deserves credit. They are up against an understrength team and it would have been easy to be complacent, but at no point over the four days did they allow the South Africans a sniff. They were disciplined and accurate with the ball, with Jamieson taking 4/58 in the second innings, while their front-line spinner, Santner, picked up six wickets in the match.
Kane Williamson’s greatness was on display again, with hundreds in each innings; the first a battling innings of 118 while there was more fluency in the second knock, of 109, when New Zealand were chasing quick runs.
Ravindra underlined his star quality with a double hundred, which along with his two first innings wickets, earned him the man of the match award.
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