New Zealand tour of South Africa..All news here! Official Thread

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u want me to edit me first post and post that schedule tauqeer??

[vish111]

yea he did baggtara...and i forgot about it...done now

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thancx vish!

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Pollock recalled by South Africa

Pitch conditions in Johannesburg should offer more help to Pollock

South Africa's leading wicket-taker Shaun Pollock has been recalled for the first Test against New Zealand in Johannesburg next Thursday. The 34-year-old was dropped for the first time in his 107-Test career for the recent series win in Pakistan.
Captain Graeme Smith said it was a decision to give younger bowlers exposure to difficult conditions.
But Pollock, who has taken 416 Test scalps, has been added for a 12-man squad for the Wanderers clash.

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South Africa squad: Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Andre Nel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock.

BBC

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South Africa A v New Zealanders, Potchefstroom, 3rd day
NZ claw back with Taylor and McCullum fifties
Cricinfo staff
November 3, 2007
New Zealanders 192 and 230 for 6 (McCullum 77, Taylor 79*, Vettori 14*, Tsotsobe 3-40) need another 128 runs to beat South Africa A 443 and 106 (McKenzie 34,Oram 5-16)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Brendon McCullum rescued his team with a 101-ball 77 © Getty Images

A 139-run stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum saw the match poised for an exciting finish, after South Africa A had managed to run through the New Zealanders' top order for the second innings in succession on the third day of the tour game in Potchefstroom.
Needing 358 to win, the visitors were tottering at 67 for 5, facing an imminent defeat, before McCullum joined Taylor in the middle. Both batsmen hit 13 fours each in their rearguard action that helped their side reach a position from which they have an outside chance of a win.
Friedel de Wet, who took 6 for 50 in the first innings, bagged McCullum as his only wicket of the day to give his team the much-needed breakthrough. At stumps, Taylor remained unbeaten on 79 from 116 balls, and giving him company was his captain Daniel Vettori, who had top scored in his team's first-innings with 83.
Earlier in the day, South Africa A - resuming on 20 for 2 - were shot out for 106. Jacob Oram was the chief destroyer with five scalps, conceding 16 runs in a spell of 6.5 overs. Oram was brought on to bowl in the 17th over of the day, as Neil McKenzie and Boeta Dippenaar, the first-innings heroes for South Africa A, looked to extend the lead.
Oram wrecked that plan though by trapping Dippenaar in front of the stumps with his first ball. Next, Oram dismissed McKenzie in the same fashion, before running through the tail to help his side keep the hosts' lead down to 357, a good effort considering they trailed by 251 on the first innings.
At the start of the chase Daniel Vettori would have been hoping his batsmen - having failed to score big so far on the tour - would get some much-needed practice in the middle ahead of the first Test. Craig Cumming and Michael Papps played cautiously, before Cumming fell to Charl Langeveldt for 14. Rory Kleinveldt removed Lou Vincent, the No. 3 batsman, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe wreaked havoc with three strikes - that of Papps, Scott Styris and Oram - to leave the opposition reeling at 67 for 5.
McCullum and Taylor ensured there was no further damage for a while, and if the batting form of Vettori - two fifties in the last three innings - is anything to go by, then the New Zealanders would be fairly confident of maintaining their 100% record on the tour, having won the earlier match against a South African Invitational XI.
© Cricinfo

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New Zealand in South Africa, 2007-08
Top order not up to scratch - Bracewell
Cricinfo staff
November 5, 2007

Daniel Vettori set a fine example for the top order in both games © Getty Images

New Zealand coach John Bracewell has said that the failure of the top order in New Zealand's two warm-up matches was a worry ahead of the first Test against South Africa starting on Thursday.
New Zealand began their tour with a 216-run win against a South African Invitational XI in Bloemfontein but lost their second game against South Africa A by 85 runs in Potchefstroom. Bracewell said the players found it tough to get going after a brief lay-off since the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa last month.
"The reality is that the top order is not performing to the standard required," Bracewell told NZPA. "The simple fact is that we are coming out of the winter break and the conditions have been fairly tough in both the matches we've played."
Michael Papps, Scott Styris, Stephen Fleming and Jacob Oram have struggled for runs in the tour so far, with opener Craig Cumming the only player among the top four to have managed a half-century. Ross Taylor came in for praise for his 86 in Potchefstroom as the visitors were set a challenging 358 to win. In both games, captain Daniel Vettori stood out for his displays with the bat, scoring 99 and 83 lower down the order.
"It's pleasing how the middle and lower order have been firing so well and it's been a traditional thing for us to share the runs through the batting order," Bracewell said. "It was great to see Ross Taylor bat so well and he showed how to bat on an indifferent pitch, with good application, and hopefully that understanding goes through to the top order as well. We just need to tough it out, to dig into our character. It's not for a want of trying or a want of hard work."
Vettori concurred with Bracewell's views that the team had plenty to think about ahead of the two-Test series. "We put in some good bowling performances, with Oram in particular doing very well, and the lower order played well, but we didn't get off to a good start in either innings," Vettori told Supercricket. "We'll have to talk about the things that went wrong and we'll all have to take responsibility for our performances. We know we have a very hard task if we are to beat South Africa in the two Tests."
© Cricinfo

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New Zealand tour of South Africa, 2007-08
South Africa ponder over Pollock
Cricinfo staff
November 6, 2007

Shaun Pollock is unlikely to play at the Wanderers © Getty Images

Mickey Arthur, South Africa's coach, has indicated that Shaun Pollock might not play the first Test against New Zealand starting at the Wanderers on Thursday. According to Arthur, the winning XI who won the Test series against Pakistan in October would probably take the field.
"We're very much a squad and there's always going to be one guy that misses out," Arthur was quoted as saying by the Independent Online website. "The spinner [Paul Harris] has made a huge impact for us - he's bowled particularly well - so I don't think we'll tinker too much. We'll have a look at the conditions later and see where we go, but it's still very much a squad system. If conditions warrant it, Polly [Pollock] will play."
Pollock was dropped for the first time in his 107-Test career during the Pakistan series with captain Graeme Smith explaining that it was a tactical decision to rest Pollock and give some young fast bowlers exposure to alien conditions.
That successful series over, Arthur was not very worried about his bowlers having to switch from Pakistan's flatter surfaces to the bouncier ones at home. "We need to get back into our own conditions quickly, and prepare accordingly," he said. "The guys are skilled and good enough to make the change quickly.
"That's part and parcel of international sport - you change disciplines pretty quickly. We just have to tighten up our defences and tighten up our skills in the nets, so we'll be fine. I'm hoping by the end of today the players will be back in Test-match mode."
© Cricinfo

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South Africa v New Zealand, 1st Test, Johannesburg
Pollock dropped as hosts go with winning formula
Cricinfo staff
November 7, 2007

Stephen Fleming: Injured, but good enough to play © Getty Images

South Africa will look to hit New Zealand with pace in the first Test, which begins in Johannesburg tomorrow, with Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, saying he wants a repeat of two years ago when Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn set up a 2-0 series win. There was no place for Shaun Pollock, as indicated on Tuesday, for the hosts fielded an unchanged side following their Test series victory over Pakistan last month.
"We have a lot of respect for what Shaun can achieve and it doesn't count him out for any other Test matches," Graeme Smith, the captain, said on the eve of the Test. Pollock didn't play a Test in South Africa's recent series in Pakistan but was retained in the squad for the first home Test of the South African summer.
The Wanderers pitch was watered Tuesday night and was still damp Wednesday. Smith felt that conditions could suit seam bowling with the pitch drying slowly under an overcast sky. Ntini and Steyn will be at the helm again for South Africa, with Andre Nel to fill the third pace bowler's spot.
Arthur said this was a preferable scenario for South Africa as it showcased their "exciting" depth. "I foresee, against the West Indies [in December and January], and going further into our tours, we're going to be able to start each Test with a fresh bowler, a luxury we haven't had for some time," he said on Tuesday. "When I think of the likes of Morne Morkel coming back into our mix, we're suddenly looking at five front-line bowlers, and that's very exciting."
New Zealand's top order hasn't quite acclimatised itself to South African conditions in the warm-up games and Stephen Fleming, who injured his thumb while fielding before last weekend's match against South Africa A, was still feeling some discomfort. He batted briefly in the nets on Tuesday and John Bracewell, New Zealand's coach, was confident he would be able to play on Thursday.
"Stephen has had a bit of discomfort when batting but it is easing. I have no concerns about him playing in the Test," Bracewell said on the eve of the match. "The only thing that will make me not select him is if he doesn't pitch up."
New Zealand have not played a Test since December 2006, when they lost at home to Sri Lanka by 217 runs, but Bracewell was not worried about his batsmen struggling to adjust to the five-day game. "That hasn't affected us and isn't really the concern. The top three are all specialist Test players and the top order have been with the A side in Australia recently," he said, stressing the importance of the batsmen putting their failures behind them. "The emphasis is on playing ball-by-ball. They need to stay in the now rather than reflect on the past, which may have affected us in the past."
Fleming and Scott Styris apart, New Zealand's main batsmen have little exposure at Test level. Openers Michael Papps and Craig Cumming have 13 Tests and not a single century between them and Ross Taylor is expected to make his Test debut at No. 5.
In comparison, South Africa have Jacques Kallis, with 27 Test centuries, followed by Graeme Smith (12), Herschelle Gibbs (14), Ashwell Prince (6), AB de Villiers (3) and Hashim Amla (1).
The two-Test series is followed by a Twenty20 match on November 23 and a three-match one-day series starting on November 25.
Teams
South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Andre Nel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.
New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (capt), Craig Cumming, Michael Papps, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Shane Bond, Michael Mason, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin, Lou Vincent, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel.
© Cricinfo

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Daniel Vettori
The likeable librarian
Mark Richardson
November 6, 2007

Vettori: stepped up at the right time © Getty Images

The first time I got an inkling that Daniel Vettori might be captain material was in 2003. The Black Caps were touring Sri Lanka and were in the middle of a warm-up game. I had batted all day for a century. When stumps were drawn and I walked off, I expected plenty of praise from my team-mates. I got it from some, but from Daniel all I got was a steely look and a lecture on how the way I had batted could cost us in the Test matches. It was thought that as Muttiah Muralitharan was the main threat to us, we could allow ourselves the luxury of playing particularly cautiously against him if we were positive against the others.
"You defended or left just about every half-volley that came your way!" Daniel yelled at me. It surprised me because one, that was nothing new, and two, Dan wasn't really the type to pipe up in such fashion. I had always thought of him as the sort that was just happy to bowl when the captain said bowl, and then go home at the end of the day pretty even-tempered, regardless of the outcome to team and person.
Not one to take criticism very well, in the second innings I decided to go completely over the top with my response to Daniel's outburst. Rather than just be stubborn and continue to let just about every over-pitched ball go, I decided to overreact and play with wild abandon. I made one of the best nineties of my life.
This time when I left the field, I got a different reaction. Not a "Well done, old boy" but another steely look, minus the lecture. It was a look that said, "Don't doubt me, I know what I'm talking about."
Without a doubt Daniel Vettori does know cricket. His bespectacled look is no cliché of an intelligent school-librarian type: he is an intelligent school-librarian type, though one with a likeable, mischievous side. He's a well-read scholar in life, and sitting in the corner of the Black Caps dressing room for ten years he has filed away a lot of information.
Perhaps his laidback nature and belief that actions and statistics speak louder than words have meant that for a long time he was never in the selectors' sights as a future captain. Players like Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram were the ones who got the post of second in command to Stephen Fleming, who everyone thought had the job for as long as he wanted, but then again, perhaps it's testament to Vetter's intelligence that he stepped up just at the right time - when the knives, if not already being sharpened for Fleming, were definitely being located in the cutlery drawer.

Vettori has played as a young man in a team that was rebuilding, he has played as a maturing man in a team that has set history for New Zealand cricket, he has bowled influentially in many victories. Now he sees himself in the most influential role in a side that must rebuild again

Bowlers are often not thought of as prime candidates for captaincy because it is in the field that a captain arguably has his say the most, and he needs to make the gut calls about who to bowl and how. For a bowler it can be difficult under pressure to see past his own performance and remain clear and impartial. When it comes to spin bowlers, these thoughts are even more widely accepted, but it is hoped that Vettori has the ability to manage not only himself but the unit.
I say "hoped" because he is yet to do so in a Test match, although he has already coped admirably in the more formulaic world of the ODI. Then again, there may not be a need to hope: maybe Vettori has been thinking like a captain all along for many years. He was often called upon by Fleming to perform a variety of roles, and he would oblige most accurately. This may just show that Vettori already knew what was required, had been thinking about it, and had prepared for it long before he got the nod.
Over the last four years Vettori has shown that he has real passion for the fortunes of New Zealand cricket. He has played as a young man in a team that was rebuilding, he has played as a maturing man in a team that has set history for New Zealand, and he has led the bowling in many victories. Now he sees himself in the most influential role in a side that must rebuild again. He would have watched closely as Fleming rebuilt the team, and also looked on as it began to slide. Now it's his turn to build a legacy for himself.
Often a New Zealand captain is hamstrung by the lack of match-winning potential around him. The team that Vettori inherits must play above itself, but if he can get a stubborn old-timer like me to play out of his skin, I have faith that he can get a young team of enthusiasts to do the same.
© Cricinfo

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South Africa v New Zealand, 1st Test, Johannesburg
Advantage South Africa
S Rajesh
November 7, 2007

Daniel Vettori has only managed 15 wickets in nine Tests against South Africa, at an average of 70.06 © Getty Images

Just one rank, and six rating points, separates fifth-placed South Africa from New Zealand in the ICC Test rankings, and yet Graeme Smith's side will start as firm favourites in the two-Test series which gets underway in Johannesburg on Thursday. The South Africans are coming off a Test series win in Pakistan, while New Zealand suffered a demoralising defeat against South Africa A, with their batsmen, especially, struggling for runs.
Traditionally too, South Africa have dominated the exchanges between the two teams, winning 18 out of 33 Tests. Their domination has been equally emphatic since returning to the international fold, with nine wins and two losses in 16 Tests, while their home record is as impressive, with 12 wins from 19 matches.
Apart from their lack of form, New Zealand will also have to battle their lack of experience. Among the frontline batsmen, only three have played against South Africa - Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris and Michael Papps. Fleming and Styris have a solid record against them, but Papps has struggled, averaging less than 16 in five Tests.

New Zealand batsmen versus South Africa

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Jacob Oram	6	484	60.50	2/ 1
Scott Styris	6	447	49.67	1/ 3
Stephen Fleming	13	918	41.72	1/ 4
Daniel Vettori	9	328	27.33	0/ 3
Brendon McCullum	6	221	24.55	0/ 2
Michael Papps	5	143	15.88	0/ 1

The South Africans, on the other hand, have a settled and experienced batting line-up, and apart from AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, they've all enjoyed playing against New Zealand.

South African batsmen versus New Zealand

Batsman	Tests	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Herschelle Gibbs	7	694	63.09	2/ 3
Hashim Amla	2	233	77.67	1/ 1
Jacques Kallis	12	1010	59.41	3/ 5
Ashwell Prince	3	175	58.33	1/ 0
Graeme Smith	6	498	49.80	1/ 3
Shaun Pollock	11	277	34.62	0/ 1
AB de Villiers	3	144	28.80	0/ 1
Mark Boucher	12	220	18.33	0/ 1

The pitch in Johannesburg is expected to assist fast bowlers, which could give Chris Martin an opportunity to add to his already impressive tally of 38 wickets from eight games against South Africa. The more famed member of the New Zealand fast-bowling line-up, Shane Bond, hasn't yet played a Test against South Africa, while their captain, Daniel Vettori, will hardly have pleasant memories of his battles against them: his 15 wickets from nine games against them have cost him 70 apiece, at a staggeringly poor strike rate of 147 deliveries per wicket.

New Zealand bowlers versus South Africa

Bowler	Tests	Wickets	Average	5WI/ 10 WM
Chris Martin	8	38	23.13	4/ 1
Jacob Oram	6	10	37.90	0/ 0
Daniel Vettori	9	15	70.06	0/ 0
Jeetan Patel	1	3	39.00	0/ 0

Among the South African bowlers, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn all have excellent records against New Zealand, but Andre Nel, who has been picked over Pollock for the first Test, will want to drastically improve his stats.

South African bowlers versus New Zealand

Bowler	Tests	Wickets	Average	5WI/ 10 WM
Shaun Pollock	11	43	21.93	1/ 0
Makhaya Ntini	9	40	24.50	4/ 1
Dale Steyn	3	16	26.00	1/ 0
Jacques Kallis	12	17	44.23	0/ 0
Andre Nel	3	5	76.00	0/ 0

If recent numbers are any indication, the fast bowlers should enjoy the conditions at the Wanderers. Since 2000, they have taken the bulk of the wickets here, at a healthy average of 28. Spinners, on the other hand, have struggled for wickets.

Pace versus spin at the Wanderers since 2000

	Wickets	Average	Strike rate	5WI/ 10WM
Pace	226	28.00	51.6	8/ 2
Spin	24	41.37	65.1	0/ 0

What should give New Zealand some hope is South Africa's recent form at this ground. Since 2000, they have only won three and lost four out of eight matches. New Zealand's only success in five tries at this venue was in 1994-95. That was the first Test of the series, but they promptly lost the next two to lose the series 2-1.
S Rajesh is stats editor at Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

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About-turn follows World Cup success
South Africa end racial quotas
Cricinfo staff
November 7, 2007
South African sport has ditched the controversial quota system which demanded a certain number of non-white players in teams.
Makhenkesi Stofile, the sports minister, announced that the focus will switch to helping black athletes by investing upwards of £15 million a year. "Quotas are out," he said. "We are not going to decide who must be on the team. All we are saying is expose everybody, give them an opportunity."
The change in policy appears to have been triggered by South Africa's success in the rugby World Cup last month. There were claims that a strict implementation of quotas would weaken the side in the future and make another such success unlikely.
Stofile, who has always been a staunch supporter of quotas, admitted the experiment had failed but insisted black sporting success stories could still take place with the correct funding.
"Quotas were used only for window dressing for international consumption," he explained. "We must kill the myth that black people cannot play certain sporting codes because they are black. Let us put our resources into the development of talent."
© Cricinfo

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Fast bowler likely to be out for six months
Franklin to have knee surgery
Cricinfo staff
November 7, 2007

James Franklin's lengthy injury layoff is about to get longer © AFP

New Zealand fast bowler James Franklin will miss the one-day series against South Africa and Australia because of a knee injury which requires surgery. Franklin has missed the last six months of cricket because of the injury which flared again in a trial match for his state side Wellington, forcing him to pull out of the New Zealand squads.
He will have surgery later this month, which will prevent him from taking part in the three-ODI series against South Africa which starts on November 25 and the Chappell-Hadlee series in December. A replacement for the series against South Africa will be named later this week.
Franklin could miss even more international cricket, with his rehabilitation expected to take between four and six months. During that period New Zealand host Bangladesh for three one-dayers in December and then England for five ODIs in February.
A more realistic target may be the return five-ODI series in England, which kicks off in June.
© Cricinfo

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South Africa v New Zealand, 1st Test, Johannesburg, 1st day
South Africa waste an opportunity
The Bulletin by Martin Williamson
November 8, 2007
New Zealand 41 for 2 trail South Africa 226 (Gibbs 63, Bond 4-73) by 185 runs
Scorecard

Herschelle Gibbs top scored for South Africa with 63 © Getty Images

Graeme Smith was left a disappointed man as South Africa squandered the advantage of batting first on a pitch both captains expect to get worse sooner rather than later. They were bowled out for 226 in two-and-a-half sessions and New Zealand finished the opening day of the first Test at The Wanderers on 41 for 2.
The stars of the day were Chris Martin and Shane Bond, New Zealand's opening bowlers. They maintained a nagging line and length throughout, probing for weaknesses and finding them often. The pitch, which Smith expressed concerns about after winning the toss, stayed sound throughout, albeit after being slightly two-paced in the morning. Most of the problems were posed by the bowlers.
Smith fell before most of the desultory crowd had found their places among the vast banks of empty seats, playing half-heartedly back and deflecting the ball into his leg stump. When Hashim Amla, who looked ill at ease throughout, gloved a snorter from Bond to the wicketkeeper, South Africa were 20 for 2 and in a right muddle.
Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis then stemmed the slide in an attritional morning session, one that purists would describe with misty eyes as good old-fashioned Test cricket where every run was hard earned. So suspicious of ball and pitch did the batsmen appear that at one stage 30 minutes passed without a run. Gibbs was about as unGibbish as he could have been, taking half an hour to get off the mark; Kallis, after a nervous start, started to look ominously set.
New Zealand's advantage appeared to have been blown in the last three overs before lunch, the monolithic Kallis twice being dropped off routine chances by Michael Papps (slip) and Iain O'Brien (long leg). But uncharacteristically he didn't make the New Zealanders pay, falling to the first ball of the afternoon when he nicked a strangely loose drive to Brendon McCullum.
Gibbs, stirred from his slumber by the break, then opened up and found an ally in AB de Villiers after Ashwell Prince had hardly stayed long enough to register. As he grew in confidence he unleashed some sumptuous drives and cuts, but he then lost his concentration and top-edged the excellent Martin to Stephen Fleming at slip. His 63 was crucial but the timing of his lapse could not have been worse.

A lone supporter eggs on the New Zealand team © Getty Images

The innings again lost its direction. de Villiers was suddenly all at sea, surviving two chances, before a slashing drive was well held by Jacob Oram in the gully, and from then on its was a case of how long Mark Boucher could milk the strike and shepherd the tail. Andre Nel slashed an got lucky a few times before edging Bond to McCullum, Paul Harris was dropped three times off one ball by Fleming at third slip before perishing the next delivery, and in the end Boucher slogged out to Daniel Vettori. On his first day as a Test captain most things went right for Vettori, and he deserved his 2 for 26 from 18 miserly overs.
New Zealand faced a tricky 45 minutes before the close, but the overcast conditions had given way to bright sunshine and it was about as good for batting as it had been all day. Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Nel roared in and gave the batsmen a good working over. The trio huffed and puffed and removed both openers to finally give Smith cause for the smallest of smiles. Papps steered Ntini to second slip and then in the penultimate over Craig Cumming was trapped on the crease by Nel.
Fleming, freed from the burden of captaincy for the first time in nine years, came in as the shadows lengthened and played a breezy cameo. He twice cut Ntini over the slips, flicked Nel over backward square leg for six, and played and missed enough to leave even Nel speechless. The situation calls for something more substantial tomorrow, but, regardless, it was still New Zealand's day.
Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo
© Cricinfo

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Steyn wrecks Kiwis as SA gain upper hand

Cricketnext.com
Mumbai: The Kiwis had enjoyed a near-perfect three sessions on day one of the Johannesburg Test. Bundling South Africa out for a modest 226, New Zealand were in a position to call all the shots. Little did they know that on Day 2 they would reel in the red.
As if there was some strange devilry in the wicket, New Zealand capitulated for an abject 118. At the close of play South Africa were in a commanding position at 179/2.
Dale Steyn, who had filled the large boots of Shaun Pollock, vindicated his captain’s decision. Bowling with pace and fury, he tore through New Zealand’s top order with a match-winning spell of 5/34.
The Black Caps lost the plot in the morning session when they misplaced five wickets for 56 runs. At one stage they were 88/7, in danger of getting dismissed under 100. But a few crisp hits by Iain Obrien helped stave off that embarrassment.
The wicket had good bounce and carry but was by no means unplayable. Most of the batsmen looked at sea against the ball that kicked a little. Surprising, given that the Kiwis are accustomed to playing on such surfaces.
Only Stephen Fleming, who had relinquished his captaincy, stood tall among the ruins with a fighting 40. Makhaya Ntini got once to move across the left-hander and AB de Villiers plucked a low catch. Fleming had suffered bruises on his forearm, though he should be able to bat again.
Getting early wickets was the only way New Zealand could have stayed in the game. It looked like ‘game on’ after Herschelle Gibbs and captain Graeme Smith perished with just 20 on the board.
But South Africa’s run-machine Jacques Kallis (76), and Hashim Amla (85) displayed remarkable composure to see through stumps without further alarms.
Wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum will rue the dropped chance off Amla when he was on two. Skipper Daniel Vettori may not harp on that blip, for he knows that it is his batsmen who lost the plot.

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South Africa v New Zealand, 1st Test, Johannesburg, 2nd day
South Africa grind down second-best New Zealanders
The Bulletin by Martin Williamson
November 9, 2007
South Africa 226 and 179 for 2 (Amla 85*, Kallis 76*) lead New Zealand 118 (Fleming 40, Steyn 5-34) by 287 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Shane Bond: the first to fall on a day of wickets © Getty Images

What a difference a day makes. At the close yesterday New Zealand were in the better position, but after a day of poor batting from them and obduracy from Jacques Kallis and Hasim Amla, it was South Africa who appeared to have already done enough to win this match. They went to stumps on 179 for 2, leading by 287.
The heart was ripped out of New Zealand in a morning session when they lost five wickets for 56, and their capitulation was complete when their last three wickets fell inside 21 balls of the resumption. Then, needing quick wickets, they made early breakthroughs before hitting a brick wall in the shape of Kallis and Amla.
Had Brendon McCullum held a thick edge when Amla had made 2 then it might have been different, but in fairness New Zealand's batting looks so fragile and uncertain that a first-innings deficit of 108 had probably almost finished them off anyway.
New Zealand started on 41 for 2, and although they lost Shane Bond, the nightwatchman, early on, they should still have been at home on a pitch that, while quickening up overnight and becoming bouncier, was still fundamentally a good surface to bat on. But they were unsure against anything short of a length and their footwork was poor, and they paid.
More importantly, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, Andre Nel and, latterly, Kallis, all bowled superbly. They all found a rhythm and added to the pressure by strangling the runs. It was absorbing, the only shame being that there was only another pathetically small crowd despite the glorious sunshine.
Stephen Fleming was the key for New Zealand. He continued where he left off last night, stroking two fours, slashing at a few, and being forced to duck and weave as Steyn and Nel tested him out. It was Ntini who produced a peach to remove him, moving one across the left-hander which he had to play, AB de Villiers at third slip clutching a catch inches from the ground. Fleming then headed off for X-rays after being hit on the forearm and sat out the rest of the day, although he should be able to bat again.

Dale Steyn appeals for another wicket. He finished with Test-best figures of 5 for 34 © Getty Images

Much as Bond and Chris Martin had done yesterday, the quick bowlers piled on the pressure with accurate and testing bowling. In his second over Kallis removed Scott Styris, his feet planted as he fenced at and nicked a good delivery short of a length outside his off stump. It was poor technique from a frontline batsman, and in the next over Kallis took a good second-slip catch when Jacob Oram was surprised by one from Steyn that angled into his midriff. Kallis was again centre stage in his next over when Ross Taylor, on his debut, slashed a wide one straight to Herschelle Gibbs at gully.
If the morning had been poor, after lunch was worse but mercifully brief as New Zealand's last three wickets went down with a whimper. Daniel Vettori fell four balls after the resumption, getting a leading edge as he tried to work Ntini through midwicket. Iain O'Brien then left Ntini seething with an eyes-shut six and two fours through the off, but it was no more than a corpse twitching.
With the first delivery of his 15th over Dale Steyn trapped McCullum back in his crease, and despite the batsman's clear unhappiness with the decision, it appeared a straightforward call. Chris Martin was greeted with a bouncer, followed by one pitched up which he tried to flick into the leg side and, like his captain, he only got a leading edge to complete Steyn's five-for.
New Zealand needed quick wickets, and they started promisingly. Gibbs, yesterday's rock, unleashed one four before he too paid for a lack of footwork and Graeme Smith, as we have seen so many times, was left overbalancing by a ball fired in at his feet by Martin from round the wicket. For the second time in as many days, South Africa were 20 for 2.
But it was what happened in between those dismissals that really mattered. Bond found Amla's edge - again largely because of an absence of footwork - and McCullum did everything right, even getting both gloves to the ball, but he spilt the catch. Amala wasted no time in making New Zealand pay, cracking a series of fours through the off side, and as the day went on he grew in confidence, bearing no resemblance to the uncertain batsmen he was yesterday.
Kallis was typically Kallis, obdurate, solid, but unleashing some sublime shots in between watchful periods. He was rattled a few times and was shaken by a Martin bouncer which clattered into his helmet. But he picked himself up, dusted himself down, and resumed grinding down the bowlers.
New Zealand's heads dropped as the shadows lengthened, Amla and Kallis bringing up their 150 stand in the penultimate over, and Vettori looked unable to lift his new charges. In the last hour O'Brien twice had raucous appeals for catches behind dismissively turned down by Daryll Harper - rightly according to replays - but by then you suspected that Vettori and his side knew that their chance had long since gone.
Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo
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