south africa tour of new zealand 2024

2024.02.15

In the closing hour, the New Zealand openers managed to cut 40 runs off the total, but in the last over of the day, spinner Dane Piedt bowled Devon Conway out for just 17.

At Hamilton’s Seddon Park on Thursday, on the third day of the second and final test, South Africa gave New Zealand a winning target of 267 thanks to a century from David Bedingham, who made his first test century.

With 110 runs primarily achieved in a 98-run fifth wicket stand with Keegan Petersen, Bedingham gave the young Proteas a realistic chance to tie the series at one.

In the closing hour, the New Zealand openers managed to cut 40 runs off the total, but in the last over of the day, spinner Dane Piedt bowled Devon Conway out for just 17.

On Friday, Conway’s fellow opener Tom Latham will continue at 21 not out as the Black Caps attempt to find the 227 runs required to win a series against South Africa for the first time in seventy-two years.

The day belonged to Bedingham, though, as rookie pacer Will O’Rourke—the only player from New Zealand with less experience than most South Africans—took five wickets at a cost of thirty-three runs in the final six Proteas wickets.

Cricket South Africa opted to retain its best players at home for the SA20 event, so the 29-year-old was one of only two players to back up in New Zealand for his debut in the two-match series against India during the New Year’s holiday.

South Africa, who lost the first test by 281 runs, bowled beautifully on Wednesday to build a 31-run lead in the first innings, but New Zealand had them teetering on 88-3 at lunch.

Rachin Ravindra, an all-rounder, made sure that Clyde Fortuin’s awful batting series would carry on, and O’Rourke was rewarded by some excellent bowling when he took out Raynard van Tonder and captain Neil Brand (34).

After the interval, veteran South African-born seamer Neil Wagner finally got an opportunity to play with the ball. He made an instant impression with a signature short ball that Zubayr Hamza (17) could only manage to pull to Will Young at deep square leg.

The other South African who had played against India, Bedingham, then went about forming the kind of alliance that New Zealand had been desperately trying to find on Wednesday in order to put the Proteas back in the lead, reaching tea at 186-4.

Glenn Phillips’ outstanding diving catch off Matt Henry’s bowling caused Petersen to go for 43, but Bedingham would not be denied a magnificent century, hitting the mark with two runs from the 127th ball he faced.

Then Phillips took control, sending Bedingham back and giving O’Rourke his fourth victim by simply eliminating Piedt and Ruan de Swardt with his right-arm spin and making another excellent catch at gully.

After getting Dane Paterson caught behind, O’Rourke finished the skittling of the tail to record his first-ever test five-wicket haul and raise his match total to 9-93.

StumpsNew Zealand 211 and 40 for 1 (Latham 21*, Conway 17, Piedt 1-3) trail South Africa 242 and 235 (Bedingham 110, Petersen 43, O’Rourke 5-34, Philips 2-50) by 227 runs

@charith