Tom Latham and Jeet Raval weathered an intense examination for more than 25 overs to guide New Zealand to 67 without loss at the close of the rain-affected second day of the third Test against South Africa at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday.
Latham was 42 not out, while Raval was on 25 when bad light forced the players off with 3.3 overs of play remaining.
South Africa had been dismissed for 314 about 30 minutes after tea following an almost two-hour rain delay that washed out virtually all of the middle session.
Photo: AFP
Quinton de Kock had again proved his value to South Africa’s lineup with his ability to score quickly and marshal the lower order as they scored 124 runs for the final four wickets.
The wicketkeeper top-scored with 90, falling short of a century for his second successive innings after he made 91 in the second Test in Wellington.
He had hit 11 fours and two sixes in his 118-ball stay before left-armer Neil Wagner got a ball to swing in and then straighten off the pitch and trap him in front. De Kock failed to overturn the leg before wicket decision on review.
Photo: AFP
Kagiso Rabada was the last man out as he scored a career-best 34 with six boundaries at six.
Prior to the rearguard action, New Zealand had been well-placed to dismiss the visitors for not much more than 200 when they managed to remove the overnight pair of Temba Bavuma for 29 and Faf du Plessis for 53 that left South Africa at 190 for six.
Bavuma had attempted to hook a slow, short Matt Henry delivery and only succeeded in getting a nick to first slip Raval, while Du Plessis fell to a brilliant catch by Latham just after reaching his 12th test half century.
Photo: Reuters
The captain set himself for a lap sweep against left arm-spinner Mitchell Santner, but Latham, fielding at forward short leg, moved swiftly to his right and plucked the ball out of the air.
Henry finished with career-best figures of 4-93.
South Africa hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series having won the second game in Wellington by eight wickets.
The first test in Dunedin ended in a draw with the entire final day washed out.
INDIA, AUSTRALIA
AFP, DHARAMSALA, India
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon emerged as the unlikely hero, taking four key Indian wickets on an engrossing second day of the decisive fourth and final Test yesterday.
The 29-year-old made the most of a lively track at Dharamsala which is hosting its first ever Test to return a rich haul of 4-67.
Fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins also bowled their hearts out during frugal spells to restrict the top-ranked hosts to 248-6 at stumps.
India still trail by 52 runs with four wickets in hand after Australia made 300 in their first knock, largely thanks to a fine 111-run knock by captain Steve Smith.
At stumps, Wriddhiman Saha was batting on 10 with Ravindra Jadeja on 16.
The Indian batsmen were guilty of squandering good starts in a match they must win if they are to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Lokesh Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara batted patiently and shared 87 runs for the second wicket, the best partnership so far for the hosts.
Stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane looked set to score big, but ended up gifting a catch to Smith off Lyon for 46 made off 104 balls.
All-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was adjudged left before wicket off Lyon and although the batsman opted for a review, TV replays showed the ball would have hit the stumps.
Ashwin hit four fours in his brisk 49-ball knock.
Not many would have placed their bets on Lyon to come good in the decider, with the spinner having given away 163 runs while taking just one wicket in the previous drawn Test at Ranchi.
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