South Africa lost their last six wickets for just 56 runs as Trent Boult and Neil Wagner helped restrict the visitors to 308 in their first innings.

Dean Elgar managed to add just to 12 runs to his overnight score, before he was dismissed for a career-best 140. The opener was foxed by a brilliant delivery from Wagner early on day two. Elgar, who had gone through periods of looking unsettled on day one, was caught in two minds and edged Wagner through to the slips.

Temba Bavuma, meanwhile, retreated from his early aggression and put up some valiant resistance, notching up a 143-ball half century before getting a glove off Boult and gifting keeper BJ Watling his second catch of the day.
Bavuma will be forgiven for feeling aggrieved, not just at himself, but a little bit at Quinton de Kock, too, for not digging in at sticking it out with him. South Africa’s firebrand batsman had managed just 10 runs off 26, once again troubled by the spin of Jeetan Patel.

Bavuma soon followed, as did Keshav Maharaj (5), Kagiso Rabada (4) and finally Vernon Philander who had engineered 54 minutes and 21 of stubbornness; South Africa were skittled for 308.

Philander then made the early breakthrough, dismissing Tom Latham for 10, but Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson continued to the tea break with the Black Caps going steadily on 59-1.

South Africa’s bowlers were mostly consistent, but there are signs of the pitch letting up and making it a bit easier for batsmen to knuckle down. DM

Scorecard summary: South Africa 308 all out (Dean Elgar 140, Temba Bavuma 64); Trent Boult 32.4-12-64-4, Neil Wagner 31-8-88-3

New Zealand 92-1 (Kane Williamson 36, Jeetan Raval 43; Vernon Philander 9-2-29-1, Kagiso Rabada 7-2-18-0)

New Zealand trail by 216 runs with nine wickets remaining in their first innings