New Zealand leads South Africa 242 (De Swardt 64, O’Rourke 4-59) by 31 runs at stump 211 (Williamson 43, Latham 40, Piedt 5-89, Paterson 3-39).
In his first Test appearance since 2019, Dane Piedt established South Africa’s lead in the format with the most impressive figures of the format on the second day in Hamilton. As a result of South Africa’s 242, New Zealand collapsed to 211 runs, with offspinner Piedt taking five for 89. At one-point, New Zealand trailed by 31 runs after losing their last seven wickets for 143 runs in 68 runs.
It commenced with Rachin Ravindra being dismissed by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki following a seven-over spell that was divided between refreshments and delivery. The left-handed Ravindra, who was aiming for the cut, gained an inside edge on his leg remnant after he slanted one across it.
Tom Blundell entered the game a few moments later as the fourth batter of the day to proceed. His withdrawal of his defensive effort against Dane Paterson was delayed; the ball deflected off the back of his bat and struck the stumps.
Following the dismissals of Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, Piedt returned Glenn Phillips with a forceful offbreak. As a result of the batters inside edge on his pad, wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin seized the opportunity.
Will Young, making his debut at No. 5 in Test cricket, was engaged in a fierce struggle. However, as wickets fell at the opposing end, his forbearance was exhausted. He skipped to Piedt on the ground and then put him in a long-range hole.
Tim Southee narrowed one to first slip, which would have allowed Piedt to score his fifth, but Shaun von Berg was unable to seize the opportunity. In the end, Southee was defeated by Paterson 5 runs.
Due to a breakdown in communication, Matt Henry was dismissed, leaving New Zealand with 183 runs for nine runs and 59 runs in arrears. However, Neil Wagner reduced the deficit with 33 runs off 27 balls before Piedt stumped him for his second five-for in Test cricket.
South Africa were unable to add more than 22 runs to their overnight total of 220 for 6, as they lost all six of their wickets in 8.2 overs during the morning. Will O’Rourke, making his debut, ended Ruan de Swardt and von Berg’s tenacious seventh-wicket stand with von Berg’s edge on to his off stump. The duo had amassed seventy points as of Tuesday evening but were unable to add an additional seven.
Piedt gloved a Southee aggressor down the leg side at the opposite end, and Blundell dashed forward to make a low catch.
Following three overs, O’Rourke had de Swardt continue. The batter dabbed a short-of-length delivery onto his back heel in an attempt to defend against it. The ball then caused the bails to be dislodged and the stumps to be tickled. Paterson’s error on the following delivery resulted in O’Rourke amassing figures of 4 for 59. He will have completed a hat-trick with his initial delivery of the day tomorrow.
Neither did New Zealand fare any better with the bat; in the first over of the innings, Devon Conway was caught behind by Paterson for a blank. Latham and Williamson opted for a defensive stance in response to clean bowling. Williamson was on 1 off 21 at one point, and the partnership reached 17 in 12.2 overs. Williamson collected the first boundary of the innings in the fourteenth over by skipping a short ball from Piedt past square leg for four.
New Zealand were 27 for 1 in 16 overs at lunch. Both Latham and Williamson emerged from their enclosures following halftime. Latham slipped Piedt down the pitch and hit him over long-on for six runs, while Williamson carried Paterson past midwicket before piedt delivered another four.
Leg-side play was the defining feature of Williamson’s innings; of his 43 runs, only two were scored off the off side. In general, both he and Latham appeared relaxed and unconcerned by a series of dot balls. Their 74-run stand came to an end when Piedt struck an off-stump delivery that passed Latham’s outside edge.
Williamson promptly collapsed after hitting two consecutive fours off debutant von Berg; he was captured at short leg by Piedt. After that, Ravindra and Young propelled the team to a formidable position, but the subsequent collapse overturned all the progress made.
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