Home ›› 02 Mar 2022 ›› Sport
South Africa outplayed New Zealand in a crushing 198-run second Test victory at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Tuesday to draw the two-match series 1-1.
New Zealand, facing a record fourth-innings chase of 426 to win, were all out for 227 eight balls after tea on the final day.
It completed a remarkable turnaround for the Proteas after being thrashed by an innings and 276 runs in the first Test on the same ground.
New Zealand started the final day at 94 for four and while Devon Conway and Tom Blundell were at the crease,they held hope they could salvage a draw.
But it was a forlorn hope as their 85-run partnership ended shortly before lunch when Conway went leg before wicket for 92 courtesy of a pin-point yorker by Lutho Sipamla. New Zealand’s hopes of salvaging a draw rose again at 227 for nine when rain interrupted play, but it was a brief respite.
Blundell pressed on with Colin de Grandhomme and went to lunch looking set on 44 only to be removed by Marco Jansen soon after the
resumption without adding to his score.
Jansen also took the wickets of Colin de Grandhomme(18)and Kyle Jamieson(12).
Kagiso Rabada removed Tim Southee and Keshav Maharaj ended the match with Matt Henry lbw for nought.
Rabada,who had figures of 8-106 and 47 runs with the bat, was adjudged the man of the match and Matt Henry,who took 14 wickets and scored 58 runs,was awarded the player of the series.
New Zealand’s hopes of defending their World Test Championship suffered a major setback as this was their third defeat in six Tests over the past three months, and their second at home, where they have enjoyed being almost unassailable in recent years.
A defeat in India in December was followed by a shock first defeat to Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui in January before being outclassed by South Africa at Hagley Oval.
It leaves New Zealand sixth in the nine-team standings with 28 Test Championship points from six Tests while South Africa are fourth with 36 from five matches.
Kiwi captain Tom Latham said,”I’m so disappointed to be in this position,”
“Obviously you go out with the ambition of winning every Test match you play, especially at home.
“When we head to England in a few months it’s important we shift our focus and try our best to win that series over there and get as many points as we can.”
