Black Caps fight back at Newlands

After being in a comfortable position to score a mammoth total the Proteas lost five wickets before declaring on 347/8 a lead of 302.

Vernon Philander had no luck at all in the second innings and was the most expensive bowler going at just over four runs to the over without taking a wicket. Martin Guptill fell to Dale Styen for a duck and then Kallis had Williamson caught at second slip by Petersen for 15 and it looked as though the New Zealanders were going to fold but a fighting 69* from Dean Brownlie and 55 from skipper Brendon McCullum took the score to 118/3 when Petersen trapped the Black Caps skipper LBW.

Daniel Flynn didn’t do very much before he edged one to de Villiers off Kallis for 14 and the Black Caps were 155/4. BJ Watling joined Brownlie and they took the score to 169/4 at stumps on day two still needing 133 runs to make South Africa bat again, so if the SA bowlers have a good spell in the morning it will be an early finish on day three – but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.

Meanwhile down under in Sydney, Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to field on the first day of the third test against Sri-Lanka a decision that paid dividends as the Lankens were dismissed for 294 with Jackson Bird, playing in only his second test taking 4/41. Oddly enough Mitchell Johnson, the hero of the second test at the MCG failed to take a wicket and was their most expensive bowler. Australia will open their first innings in the morning as stumps were drawn with the Sri-Lanken’s final wicket. – David Blood, SportsCentral