South Africa v New Zealand Third Test Thread

[Duty281]

Currently 1-0 up with one to play, South Africa will be favourites to make it 2-0 in Wellington. However, the weather is looking very bad for the first three days which will raise the chance of a no result.

Match Facts
March 23-27, Wellington (Basin Reserve)

Start time 1030 (2130 GMT)

Big Picture
Sportsmen are taught Aristotle's philosophy of "one swallow does not a summer make," in an attempt to ensure they don't get carried away by isolated performances. Most of the time, it's a sensible way to assess results. The Wellington Test match could be one of those times when it isn't. It is the concluding chapter of the summer for both teams, and will serve as a decent indicator of where each of them are after a season of hard graft.

For New Zealand, a fightback and a victory will end their season on a high after it started, filled with promise against Australia and sprinkled with authority over Zimbabwe. New Zealand were careful to treat their whitewash of Zimbabwe with sobriety and not read too much into the results, knowing that South Africa would be tougher opponents. Just how tough, only emerged later.

Since winning the first T20 on February 17, New Zealand have been on the back foot. Even the drawn Test in Dunedin was thought of to have meant more for South Africa as it would have required a record-breaking effort from the hosts to emerge victorious. Wellington was where New Zealand started the series, with a victory, and they look to end it here with victory as well.

South Africa will use the New Zealand tour as a springboard to the rest of their travels this year, which include a top-of-the-table Test clash against England and a series in Australia. They cannot lose the series, which will keep their record as world cricket's best travellers since 2007 intact. In almost every department, bar their first innings showings with the bat, South Africa have looked a complete unit. Morne Morkel said they feel ready to play "the perfect Test match," which involves one massive innings and bowling the opposition out twice. If they get that right, they will leave New Zealand with having achieved everything they set out to do.

Form guide
(most recent first) New Zealand LDWWL
South Africa WDWLW
Players to watch
Daniel Flynn last represented New Zealand in December 2009, in the middle order. He will make his comeback as an opener, coming off three consecutive first-class centuries. Although the batting line-up should not depend entirely on him for an improved showing, they will certainly be looking to him for a solid start. New Zealand's highest opening stand in the series so far has been 16 and Flynn will need to combine with Martin Guptill for many more runs than that if he hopes for a longer stint in Test cricket than Rob Nicol had.

He is the bowler almost everyone is talking about and Vernon Philander cannot seem to put a foot wrong. Philander has collected 15 wickets in the series so far, at an average of 14.33, and if he takes five in the Wellington Test he will be the fastest South African to 50 Test wickets and the fastest for almost 116 years. Philander should continue to make use of subtle seam movement and exemplary lines but it will be interesting to see how he deals with the fierce winds at the Basin Reserve.

Team news
New Zealand will include a sixth specialist batsman to prop up their line-up. Nicol was dropped from the squad after the Hamilton Test and Flynn will open in his place. Dean Brownlie has recovered from a broken finger and will slot in at No.6, meaning that Daniel Vettori and Kruger van Wyk will drop one place lower. The new-look batting card will mean New Zealand are forced to leave out one of their seamers and field a three-pronged attack consisting of Chris Martin, Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daniel Flynn, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Mark Gillespie, 11 Chris Martin

Graeme Smith confirmed that there is unlikely to be any changes to the South African XI. Marchant de Lange, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, JP Duminy and Robin Peterson will continue to serve drinks.

South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis 5 AB de Villiers/JP Duminy, 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions
The Basin pitch was ready to play on four days ago as the groundstaff anticipated wet weather in the lead up to the match. The sun came out on Thursday though, giving the curator Brett Sipthorpe a few hours to allow his surface to dry. He uncovered it for the first time since Sunday and revealed a patchy looking surface that started to even out the more it was rolled. It is being talked of as a good cricket surface, with enough in it for bowlers and batsmen alike. The match could well be interrupted by rain, with scattered showered forecast for the weekend. Conditions will be made more challenging by the strong northerly wind which is set to blow across the ground for the first two days.

Stats and trivia
New Zealand's highest partnership was scored at the Basin Reserve, a 467-run third-wicket stand between Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones in January 1991.
Mark Boucher is five dismissals away from completing 1,000 dismissals across all formats in the international game
Quotes
We're one-nil down in the series we know that were not far away from competing with this side. We've been on top in a few situations we just haven't been able to ram it home.
Ross Taylor hopes New Zealand can play to their potential in the final match of the series

I'd like to see us keep that curve going up. We'd like to round off with a comprehensive performance in the next five days.
South Africa want to leave New Zealand on a winning note, as Graeme Smith emphasised

http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-south-africa-2012/content/story/558256.html

If the weather doesn't intervene, I'll go for a comfortable South African victory. Game starts at 21:30 GMT.

[Biltong]

Thanks duty, so the weather will sink this match?

[Duty281]

Well here's the weather for the next 10 days in Wellington.

http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Wellington-NZXX0049

Should be okay for days 4 and 5 but not the first three.

[Biltong]

Well that might not even then be worth staying up tonight.

[Duty281]

First session has been lost to rain, this series has been like England in April!

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

They should have moved this match to Tekapo, arouund the Southern Hydro lakes is about the only part of NZ that#s not having a wet summer.

[ReallyReal]

GC Smith* c †van Wyk b Bracewell 5
AN Petersen not out 34
HM Amla not out 63
103/1 after 33 overs
http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-south-africa-2012/engine/current/match/520605.html

[ReallyReal]

GC Smith* c †van Wyk b Bracewell 5
AN Petersen not out 44
HM Amla c †van Wyk b Gillespie 63
JP Duminy not out 23
136/2 after 42 overs, stumps on day one

[eirebilly]

At least they got some play in

[Biltong]

Yeah, but it is unlikely this will have a result.

[eirebilly]

You never know

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

You never know

True. Never underestimate the ability of the NZ cricket team to turn a draw into a humiliating defeat

[Biltong]

I don't think you should worry kiwi, it seems there will be only 30-40 overs bowled tomorrow and sunday. Which inevitably means one innings will be completed.

So my guess would be after the third day if SA manages to bat for another 75 overs, we might have 350 runs, that's to say we don't get bowled out cheaply.

So then NZ starts batting on day 4, with 3 more innings to complete in 6 session, it is hardly likely there will be a result.

[Duty281]

Weather doesn't look as bad today, we may get in 2 full sessions if we're lucky. Don't get your hopes up though!

[Biltong]

Cheers thanks Duty.

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

It's god to see one milestone notched up. NZ radio commentator Brian Waddle is calling his 200th test after 31 years in the job. The article here http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/6629398/Bryan-Waddle-calls-200th-cricket-test is quite a good read.

[Biltong]

Kiwi, I sent you a PM did you get it, my sent box was full , so I am not sure whether you got it.

[Liam]

very poor new ball performance from the NZ seamer's yesterday, with a green pitch and overcast conditions and all.

Billy, is Dumminy in the side as the part time spinner due to the pitch or is Kallis injured/rested?

[Duty281]

I may have been wrong, weather is atrocious and the first session has been lost. Won't be much, if any, play today.

[Biltong]

Well there has now been 79 overs of play in two days.

SA 246/2

Alviro just short of his century and Duminy mid seventies.

[Biltong]

very poor new ball performance from the NZ seamer's yesterday, with a green pitch and overcast conditions and all.

Billy, is Dumminy in the side as the part time spinner due to the pitch or is Kallis injured/rested?

Martyr not, sure, I tihnk it is to give de Lange an opportunity as the fourth seemer. Maybe just to play around with selections a bit.

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

very poor new ball performance from the NZ seamer's yesterday, with a green pitch and overcast conditions and all.

Billy, is Dumminy in the side as the part time spinner due to the pitch or is Kallis injured/rested?

Martyr not, sure, I tihnk it is to give de Lange an opportunity as the fourth seemer. Maybe just to play around with selections a bit.

Kallis is injured apparently

[Guest]

if south africa had bowled first, then im pretty sure Philander would have tore through this side, NZ have been dissapointing with the ball in this test thus far.

[Duty281]

Should be getting a full days play in for Day Three so South Africa should make around 500 before getting an hour in at NZ in the evening. It will take some heroic batting to deny a South African win.

[Biltong]

IF it doesn't rain too much.

I am not too confident though.

[Guest]

looks like another game NZ wont win lol :P

good effort from them though to get 65-0 at the close.

well bowled Mark Gillespie yet again.

[Duty281]

South Africa made 474/9 declared, Petersen making 156 and Duminy 103 while Gillespie toiled manfully for figures of 6/113. Flynn and Guptill managed to survive the 25 overs until stumps amassing 65/0 - the highest opening partnership of the series so far! If NZ avoid the follow-on (275) then I think this game will be a draw. Weather is forecast to be good for the final 2 days.

[Guest]

career best for Gillespie..

baffles me how he has played so few test matches.

[Guest]

for once im on late enough for the match thread and no one else is :/

[Biltong]

Yeah, I needed some sleep, staying awake every night takes its toll.

Anyway tomorrow will be interesting.

[Guest]

NZ's bowlers couldnt find a breakthrough, i still find it staggering though, that gillespie has played so few test matches!

[JDizzle]

Take a bow Doug Bracewell! What a catch!

[alfie]

Looks like Morkel's day today ... 5/8 off ten ! And some catches dropped as well

Vettori blown away so just 4 more wickets needed now... fancy an SA win now with plenty of time left , despite Williamson's fine resistance

Now for the hat trick ball...no , well dug out by Williamson , but I can't see the Kiwi's holding out for another session. Well done SA.

[alfie]

Hey , sorry biltong , I hexed your chaps there


Really did think those bowlers were certain to blow the tail away ...

What a fine rearguard effort from Williamson

[Biltong]

Well done to NZ for hanging on.

What I was very happy with was morkel. As I said earlier the guy has been bowling well in this summer with little luck, his luck turned and he got 6 wickets. Well deserved.

What does concenr me though is Dale Steyn, he does seem a little off colour, hopefully he will get his toe sorted and can focus on retaining his wicket taking ability.

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