New Zealand vs South Africa, 1st Test, Day 4: Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis ensure visitor’s dominance
NZ vs SA, 1st Test, Day 4: Elgar, du Plessis ensure Protea dominance
Just like Day Three, bad light won once again today forcing early stumps but saw South Africa finish Day Four at 224 for 6 against New Zealand in the first Test at the University Ground at Dunedin. Resilient knocks from opener Dean Elgar (89) and skipper Faf du Plessis (56*) ensured South Africa ended the day on high with 191-run lead gaining an advantage. A cracker of a contest awaits on final day. New Zealand bowlers had some respite towards the ending gaining wickets of Elgar, Temba Bavuma (6) and Quinton de Kock (4). At stumps du Plessis was batting along with pacer Vernon Philander (1*). LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD, New Zealand vs South Africa, 1st Test at Dunedin
South Africa started the final session with 157 runs on the board with Elgar and du Plessis at the crease having a comfortable lead of 124 runs. Throughout the previous two sessions, the visiting side had managed to score runs at around 2 an over. But when Elgar and du Plessis came out to bat in the last session, they started with the clear intentions of increasing the tempo in order to put the hosts under pressure. Du Plessis took the aggressor’s role and started scoring runs in a flurry. Elgar, on the other hand, too shifted gears and belted anything that was pitched short and full outside off stump.
Elgar, already in rich form, was inching towards his eighth Test century which would also have been back-to-back in two innings. He looked all poised to get to the landmark, but against the run of play, Jeetan Patel tossed it up with lot of flight on offer. Elgar who was so composed and calm danced down the track lofting the ball in the air over short extra cover. Kane Williamson took an excellent catch to end Elgar’s resistance.
South Africa were at 194 when they lost their fourth wicket in the form of Elgar, but still had hopes pinned on their skipper. Du Plessis looked in good touch and Temba Bavuma who scored 64 in the first innings had just walked in. These two started building partnership from the scratch dealing in singles.
They negated the swing and bounce from Trent Boult and Neil Wagner very well forcing Williamson to get Mitchell Santner from the other end. Santer bowled stringent spell but didn’t look probing enough to get a wicket. But Bavuma could not replicate the first innings heroics, getting clean bowled.
Santner tossed it up and the delivery drifted in, Bavuma trying to defend inched forward and defended well. But the ball spun back off the pitch and kissed the stumps. Bavuma tried kicking the ball away in the process but in vain. Before du Plessis could forge a partnership with wicketkeeper-batsman de Kock who had walked in after Bavuma, Patel struck again. He tossed up the ball on leg stump which spun to uproot the off-stump. A complete spinners delight!
From 194 for 4, South Africa were brought down to 218 for 6. But du Plessis batted out sensibly along with Philander to see the day off. Despite the respite of 3 quick wickets, New Zealand will still find themselves on backfoot.
Initially, Day Four started late due to consistent drizzle. Due to this, the wicket assisted Boult and Wagner and they were soon rewarded with Amla’s (24) wicket. But then JP Duminy and Elgar stitched a vital 74-run stand for the third wicket to form a good foundation of a big lead.
But before all this happened, New Zealand were struck with a major blow as they were about to start the final session. Pacer Boult was diagnosed with sore hip and hence he is expected not to bowl for the first 90 minutes on the final morning to undergo treatment.
With last day all to be played for, South Africa would be hoping to take their lead to at least 250-run mark and with their skipper still out in the middle, visiting side will definitely have their tails up.
But just like Day Three, bad light had the final say today.
Brief scores:
South Africa 308 & 224 for 6 (Dean Elgar 89, Faf du Plessis 56*; Neil Wagner 2 for 57, Jeetan Patel 2 for 72) lead New Zealand 341 (Kane Williamson 130, BJ Watling 50; Keshav Maharaj 5 for 94, Morne Morkel 2 for 62) by 191 runs