NZ v SA 2nd Test, Day 2 Review: De Kock, Bavuma lead South African fight back

The position of both the teams at the start of the day and at the end of it was a polar difference. While the South African team was on the back foot having lost two late wickets on day 1 they managed to end the day with a handy 81-run lead. The second day like most times in this series swung towards either side with the momentum shifting in the matter of a few overs.

Having plucked two in the last 7 overs on the previous evening Tim Southee struck on the last ball of his first over to clean up the night watchman Kagiso Rabada with an inswinger and looked to rattle the Proteas early in the day. 33 runs later JP Duminy was on his way back as the centurion Henry Nicholls held a straight forward catch at mid-wicket off Neil Wagner.

The next success came soon as Nicholls juggled but managed to keep the ball in control to book a return for Hashim Amla on the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme, skipper Faf du Plessis also fell prey to the same bowler and was the third straight batsman to be dismissed after a start. He scored 22 while Amla’s contribution was 21. At this stage, it appeared like the South African batting was done and has crumbled against the pace of the Black Caps.

But there was a twist in the tale as Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock with their 7th wicket partnership did not just change the course of the inning but pretty much that of the game as well. Counterattack was the approach de Kock adopted and when Kane Williamson deployed his off-spinner Jeetan Patel considering his success against the southpaw but that didn’t pay off today.

Patel was dealt with relative ease and rather pleasure as they scored off against him at some pace. He was hit for six boundaries and a six in his 12-over spell. The duo tested the Kiwi bowlers and in the phase where wickets weren’t coming their way Tim Southee and co couldn’t create a moment on their own.

Eventually, towards the end of the day, the 160-run stand was broken with the wicket of de Kock who fell nine short of his hundred edging Jimmy Neesham to the wicketkeeper. Bavuma continued but couldn’t get to his century either and was sent back by Wagner for 89. If New Zealand thought it was done there they were proved wrong as the Proteas tail wagged to hurt them.

Nine down for 302 the Kiwi batters would have already started to prepare in their head for their reply but Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel disrupted any such plans with their 47-run 10th wicket partnership. They were both unbeaten on 36 and 31 respectively at stumps on Day 2 as the South African team enjoys a healthy lead that could pretty much prove the difference.

Black Caps bowlers toiled hard Grandhomme and Wagner had three successes each while Southee had a couple and Neesham got one.

Watch: NZ v SA, 2nd Test, Day-2 short highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh_cu1jFVZg

Brief Scores:

New Zealand: 268 all out (Henry Nicholls 118; JP Duminy 4/47)

South Africa: 349/9 in 95 overs (Quinton de Kock 91, Temba Bavuma 89; Colin de Grandhomme 3/52)