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Exciting finish on the cards at
The Wanderers as NZ fightback strongly |
May 6, 2006 (Click to see the
Scorecard)
 The
Wanderers Test is heading towards an exciting
finish possibly on the 3rd day with the match
situation at the end of the 2nd day’s play being
even stevens. Well the Black Caps fought back
strongly in this match and they achieved the
difficult part of dismissing the South Africans
cheaply, which they did in today’s morning
session. However their 2nd innings was
fluctuating with three important partnerships
and the loss of key wickets. The match is
hanging in the balance with New Zealand working
up a lead of 147 and they still have 4 wickets
in hand. Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori are the
two not out batsmen and this pair has looked
good so far adding up 24 valuable runs. Looks
like any target around 200 would be a
challenging one for the South Africans, when
they bat in their 2nd innings with the ball
seaming around and the variations in bounce
starting to show frequently.
It was a dream start for the New
Zealanders this morning as James Franklin and
Chris Martin went on a rampage to take four
wickets in a hurry as South Africa crumbled to
pieces and in the end they had to contend with
just 67 runs lead. The slide was started by
Franklin, who got his delivery to drift in and
then leave AB de Villiers edging that to slips,
Boucher was soon gone as he got a sharp
inswinger from Franklin to get wrapped up on his
pads. Boucher was unlucky though with the ball
heading over the stumps and also pitching
fractionally outside the legstump. Chris Martin
then knocked off two wickets that off Hall and
Steyn with his inswingers. Hall like Boucher was
unlucky to be given out lbw as the ball was
easily going over his stumps. Pollock did the
wise thing by going for his shots and he spanked
the Kiwis for a couple of sixes one through long
off and other a pull shot to square leg. However
Ntini had Pollock stranded at the crease as the
former got out playing a reckless drive. Chris
Martin bowled with pace and movement picking up
5 wickets and Franklin chipped in with 3
important wickets.
New Zealand almost lost How in the very 2nd over
of their innings as Dale Steyn at fine leg
dropped a sitter. Ntini was the unlucky bowler
as Steyn made a complete mess in taking a
straight forward catch. But Steyn made sure that
SA did not pay much penalty for that drop catch
as he trapped Jamie How with a quick pitched up
inswinger. Papps and Fleming, then got the Kiwis
going but Kallis struck just before lunch by
forcing Papps to edge his outswinger to 2nd
slip. After lunch, Fleming fell looking to cover
drive Kallis and as the ball swung away, the
edge was produced to give Kallis, his 200th Test
victim. Then it was the pair of Scott Styris and
Nathan Astle that countered the South African
attack to put on 76 runs for the 3rd wicket
before Steyn produced yet another gem of an
outswinger to have Astle nicking him to the
slips. New Zealand lost Styris soon with the
score at 177 as Styris, who was struggling
against the short pitch deliveries tried to
counter attack them by going for an adventurous
pull shot but ended up miscuing it up in the air
and straight down to the bowler Dale Steyn.
Shaun Pollock also chipped in with a wicket as
he trapped McCullum in front of the stumps with
a terrific indipper. After that Jacob Oram and
Daniel Vettori ensured that the Kiwis did not
lose any wicket and at stumps on Day 2, the
Kiwis are hanging in there at 214 for 6. Makhaya
Ntini hasn’t got a wicket yet in this innings
after having bowled 12 overs, he would have got
one had Steyn not put the catch of Jamie How
down. South Africa need to quickly remove the
remaining 4 wickets tomorrow morning as any
target on this track seems to be a challenging
one.
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