New Zealand: Guptill, B McCullum (C), Williamson, Brownlie, Flynn, Watling (W), Franklin, Bracewell, Patel, Boult, C Martin
New Zealand won toss and chose to bat.
New Zealand 1st Innings - Close
Runs
|
Balls
|
4s
|
6s
| |||
| Guptill | c de Villiers | b Philander |
1
| 6 | 0 | 0 |
| B McCullum | b Philander |
7
| 19 | 1 | 0 | |
| Williamson | lbw | b Philander |
13
| 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Brownlie | c Smith | b Philander |
0
| 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Flynn | c and b | Steyn |
8
| 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Watling | c de Villiers | b Philander |
0
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Franklin | c Smith | b M Morkel |
1
| 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Bracewell | b Steyn |
2
| 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Patel | c Amla | b M Morkel |
5
| 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Boult | c de Villiers | b M Morkel |
1
| 9 | 0 | 0 |
| C Martin | not out |
0
| 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 1nb 6lb | 7 | ||||
| Total | all out | 45 | (19.2 ovs) | |||
|
|
South Africa 1st Innings
Runs
|
Balls
|
4s
|
6s
| |||
| Smith | lbw | b Bracewell |
1
| 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Petersen | not out |
0
| 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Amla | not out |
2
| 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 0 | |||||
| Total | for 1 | 3 | (2 ovs) | |||
|
|
A wonderfully-crafted new-ball spell from Vernon Philander, which brought him five wickets in six overs, sparked one of the most humiliating days in New Zealand Test history as they came no nearer to finding a sense of stability following the controversial sacking of Ross Taylor from the captaincy.
The New Zealand innings, undermined initially by Philander's excellence, but becoming increasingly defeatist as it progressed, lasted only 19.2 overs as they were bowled out in the first session. Lunch was still 19 minutes away when Daniel Flynn made a hash of a pull at Dale Steyn, leaving New Zealand to reflect upon the third-lowest Test score in their history.
This has been one of the sorriest interludes in New Zealand cricket, with allegations of dishonesty and former players burning blazers, but when the real business - Test cricket - returned, masters became even worse as New Zealand were humbled by a mighty South Africa pace attack.
Philander's method was simple and clinical as he maintained impeccable accuracy and found just enough swing to be persistently threatening. Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and BJ Watling edged to wicketkeeper or slips, the new captain, Brendon McCullum, was bowled off an inside edge trying to cover the outswing, and Kane Williamson fell lbw after his recourse to DRS proved unsuccessful.
Philander returned new-ball figures of 6-3-7-5, quite a feat for a bowler who had been doubtful for this Test after tweaking a hamstring a fortnight ago and who was described by his captain, Graeme Smith, on the eve of the Test as "provisionally fit". New Zealand will be provisionally judged to be out of their depth and the two-Test series will be provisionally held to be over.
All this delayed, if not entirely overshadowed, Dale Steyn's move to 300 Test wickets. He went unrewarded in his opening spell while Philander wreaked havoc, but switched to the Wineberg End for his second spell and with his third ball bowled Dough Bracewell with a delivery that swung away to hit off stump.
Steyn reached the landmark in his 61st Test and became the fourth South African to do so, following Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini.
The last thing New Zealand needed was a difficult decision at the toss, but that was what Brendon McCullum faced in his first Test in charge since the removal of Ross Taylor. The pitch was green, if not especially so, and certainly not as green as the New Zealand batsmen. It must have been tempting to feel their way into the Test by having a bowl. Instead, McCullum took the assertive route and his team was found wanting.
He could fairly be faulted because of what followed. There were enough cracks in the pitch to dissuade McCullum from batting last and, if he looked upwards, he found a stunning Cape Town morning, with Table Mountain shimmering under cloudless blue skies.
Those with the good fortune to be among a capacity crowd then settled back contentedly to watch a mismatch. There was nothing in New Zealand's performance that suggested otherwise, their most successful moment against Philander coming when his first ball cost five leg byes thanks to four overthrows by the wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
But Philander's lissom skills soon took their toll. He had a wicket with the last ball of his first over, an outswinger edged by Guptill. There were two more wickets in his third over, a good-length ball causing McCullum to play on and Dean Brownlie fell third ball for nought. It was a limp shot from Brownlie who was batting in Taylor's spot at No. 4 (a spot where Taylor made 142 and 74 in his last two Test innings, against Sri Lanka in Colombo), one that was hardly designed to fill New Zealand with a sense of feelgood.
Philander was unlikely to be given a long spell considering the creeping doubts about his fitness, but he made the most of his limited timespan. Williamson, after having the temerity to drive him down the ground, fell lbw to the last ball of Philander's fourth over and BJ Watling fell to probably the best ball of the lot when the first delivery of his fifth over again found the edge. It is his third Test at Newlands and he already has 19 wickets at 9.73 runs apiece.
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