McCullum & Taylor bring excitement
Exciting batting by Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor left the final day nicely poised as New Zealand reached 137 for two at stumps on the fourth day of the first test against South Africa on Saturday.
34th over – The flurry of runs continues as Taylor lashes a cut through backward point for four off Jacques Kallis.
33rd over – Imran Tahir pitches the googly on leg-stump, Taylor reads it and leg-glances the ball for another four.
32nd over – A wonderful over for New Zealand. McCullum completes his half-century, Ross Taylor then brings up the fifty partnership off just 70 balls as he skilfully steers Kallis between backward point and gully for four. Taylor then pushes the next delivery sweetly through the covers for another boundary.
31st over – Tahir continues to bowl very full and Taylor drives beautifully and elegantly through extra cover for four.
29th over – Tahir drops short and McCullum pulls him powerfully for six.
22nd over – Dale Steyn slides down leg and McCullum turns the ball around the corner, beating a very square fine-leg for another boundary.
21st over – WICKET – Rob Nicol has come through a torrid 90 minutes against the quick bowlers and now he bunts a dipping full toss from leg-spinner Tahir to mid-on, where Graeme Smith moves to his left and takes a low, tumbling catch. Nicol scored 19, but what a way to go! Taylor is off the mark with a boundary as he steers a full ball outside off stump through point.
18th over – Vernon Philander is bowling straighter now and Nicol jumps across and flicks the ball through square-leg with wonderful timing for four.
16th over – Philander eventually departs from his immaculate line and length, McCullum seizing on a bit of width outside off stump and crunching a cut for four through point.
15th over – Full and outside off stump from Morne Morkel and McCullum monsters a magnificent cover drive for four. Morkel ends the over by thundering a bouncer into McCullum’s shoulder, from where it loops to the slips. Considering how far away from the gloves the ball was, South Africa’s decision to review the not out verdict is absurd.
The impeccable Vernon Philander made the first breakthrough as New Zealand went into tea on 27 for one on the fourth day of the first test against South Africa at the University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
11th over – Morne Morkel strays on to the leg-stump and Brendon McCullum tickles the ball away for four runs to fine leg.
10th over – Short and wide from Dale Steyn – a poor ball – and McCullum jumps all over the gift, getting off the mark with a crunching square-cut for four.
8th over – WICKET – Philander is rewarded for his impeccable line and length as he claims the wicket of Martin Guptill for eight. Guptill pushes half-forward, there is just a bit of away movement, and he edges the ball straight to AB de Villiers at third slip.
5th over – Morkel has been a little straight in his first over and Rob Nicol turns him neatly through midwicket for the first boundary of the innings.
South Africa decided to keep New Zealand in the field until their lead was 400, declaring their second innings on 435 for five on the fourth day of the second test at the University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
138th over – After just two balls on 99, Jacques Rudolph meatily sweeps a straightish delivery from Daniel Vettori over the infield for four to reach his sixth test century off 177 balls in four hours. The stylish left-hander has put South Africa in a powerful position with his impressive innings.
137th over – Another horrible long-hop from Tim Southee and Mark Boucher chops it one-bounce over backward point for four. Jacques Rudolph ends the over with a square-drive over point for four as he races to 99 not out.
136th over – Daniel Vettori is trying to target the rough full outside Rudolph’s off-stump, but over-pitches and the left-hander lashes the ball past deep mid-off for another boundary.
135th over – Southee again drags down the first ball of a spell and Rudolph cuts it powerfully for four.
133rd over – A marvellous shot by Boucher as he steps outside off stump and whips Trent Boult through midwicket for four.
131st over – Rudolph steps across and blasts Boult through the covers for four with a magnificent cover-drive.
127th over – Boult fires in a full ball on Boucher’s legs and he clips the ball through square-leg for a fine boundary. Rudolph then runs the last ball of the over down to the amazingly vacant third man boundary as 10 runs come off the over.
126th over – New Zealand have kept part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson on after lunch and Rudolph launches him over wide long-on for six.
A steady accumulation of runs saw South Africa reach 359 for five at lunch on the fourth day of the first test against New Zealand at the University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
123rd over – A little bit of width from Chris Martin and Mark Boucher pounces, collecting his first boundary with a cracking square-cut.
118th over – WICKET – Part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson has his fourth test wicket as AB de Villiers heaves him straight to Brendon McCullum at cow corner. De Villiers is out for 29 off 55 balls.
115th over – Another fine shot behind the wicket by Rudolph as Doug Bracewell straightens the ball back into the left-hander and he glances it away for four. Rudolph has his second half-century of the match off the next ball, as he drives Bracewell crisply through the covers for four. There’s no denying he’s here to stay as he has batted for two-and-a-half hours and faced 106 balls, stroking nine fours.
114th over – The fifty partnership and the 300-run lead are up as Jacques Rudolph steers Tim Southee through the gully with wonderful timing for four.
113th over – Rudolph brings out the slog-sweep and cracks Daniel Vettori past the despairing dive of McCullum on the square-leg boundary for four.
110th over – Super shot by De Villiers as he late cuts a wide away-swinger from Southee past the slips for four.
107th over – Tossed up by Daniel Vettori and Rudolph punches in the ball in the air past the spinner’s left arm for four.
104th over – The 300 comes up with a beautiful stroke as left-armer Trent Boult, bowling over the wicket, delivers on to De Villiers’ pads and he strokes the ball wide of mid-on with wonderful timing for four.
102nd over – Full from Boult and Rudolph gets forward confidently and slams the ball through the covers for four.
99th over – Southee’s first ball is short, it sits up on the slow pitch and De Villiers cuts it through the covers for an emphatic first boundary.
98th over – Left-armer Boult is brought on and removes Kallis with his third delivery. WICKET – Kallis flicks a delivery off his pads but straight to midwicket and is out for 113, in 380 minutes off 263 balls, with 16 fours. It was another great innings by the run-hungry maestro, but South African fans would have liked to have seen more of him today.
91st over – Martin ends his first over of the day with a yorker, but it’s wide outside off stump and Rudolph expertly steers the ball between the slips and gully, the ball racing away to the boundary with the strong wind behind it.