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Amla & Kallis carry SA to big lead
Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis carried South Africa to 179 for two at stumps on the second day of the first test against New Zealand on Friday, to give the home side a lead of 287 at Liberty Life Wanderers.
An inspired Amla, buoyed by a let-off when he had just two, reignited his international career with 85 not out, while Kallis was his usual unperturbed self as he cruised to 76 not out.
New Zealand may well consider wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum's dropped catch off Shane Bond when Amla was just getting started as the moment when the match went emphatically away from them.
Amla dug in after his close shave and flourished later on as he struck 13 fours off 176 balls, while Kallis also had sprightly moments, particularly against spinner Daniel Vettori, as he went to a 79-ball half-century.
These statistics are possibly dwarfed by the fact their unbeaten 159-run stand eclipses an Eddie Barlow/Graeme Pollock record for the biggest third-wicket partnership for South Africa at the Wanderers.
Kallis included 12 fours in his 122-ball innings, beating several fielders in the covers on numerous occasions, such was the quality of his driving on the off side.
The pair batted through the final session from tea to the close and never really looked like being removed as the Kiwi attack tired.
Bond and Chris Martin, the wicket-takers to date, wilted as the sun beat down and they began to extract less and less life from the pitch and Vettori was surprisingly expensive given that he had conceded just 26 runs in 18 overs and taken two wickets in the first innings.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn had earlier taken career-best figures of five for 34 to bowl New Zealand out for just 118 in their first innings.
Faced with a deficit of 108, New Zealand's new-ball pair of Bond and Martin each took a wicket early on to provide some hope for the visitors.
The warning lights were flashing for South Africa when both Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith were dismissed in the first eight overs.
Gibbs is one of the most frustratingly mercurial batsmen around and, after batting with such impressive patience in the first innings, he contrived to stroke a wonderful straight drive for four and then waft lazily outside off stump to give third slip catching practice and Bond a wicket in the second innings.
Smith (9) then played down the wrong line, probably fooled by some late away swing, to be bowled by a Martin yorker and a New Zealand comeback looked possible.
But Amla, who had played some top-class strokes which brought him six fours, and Kallis then came together to hold the line for South Africa.
Steyn, who had impressed with two for 29 in the morning session, claimed another three wickets for just five runs in 4.3 overs to rip through the remainder of the Kiwi batting line-up after lunch.
Daniel Vettori (7) tried to work Makhaya Ntini on the leg-side, but the left-hander was at fault for playing against the angle of the delivery and miscued a simple catch to mid-on.
Brendon McCullum (9) and Chris Martin (0) were then dismissed in the same Steyn over and New Zealand were all out just 21 balls after lunch.
McCullum was lbw as he played across a swinging delivery, then Martin plopped his second ball into mid-on's hands.
UPPER HAND
South Africa's persistent pace attack held the upper hand as they reduced New Zealand to 97 for seven at lunch.
It was fast bowler Dale Steyn who struck twice as the Kiwis crashed from their overnight score of 41 for two.
Steyn began with a fast, straight yorker in his second over of the day and it was way too good for nightwatchman Shane Bond, who was bowled neck-and-crop for a single.
New Zealand then lost the services of former captain Stephen Fleming, who top-scored with 40, when he lunged at a ball from Makhaya Ntini that was angled across him and AB de Villiers took a good catch that dipped on him at third slip.
Kallis was brought on after 30 overs and it was a telling change of bowling by Smith and two wickets would come in quick succession for the all-rounder.
Scott Styris had scored 11 in over an hour at the crease, but he had to wait for Kallis's second over to begin as the groundstaff did repairs to the pitch, and then played a loose backfoot drive that edged the ball straight to Smith at first slip.
Jacob Oram has previously been a considerable thorn in South Africa's flesh with the bat, but Steyn returned and had him well-caught by a tumbling Kallis at second slip after he had scored just a single.
The obdurate Ross Taylor (15) then fell just before the lunch break, the accurate Kallis inducing a loose drive outside off stump, Gibbs taking the catch above his head in the fifth slip position.
Teams
South Africa - Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Paul Harris, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.
New Zealand - Michael Papps, Craig Cumming, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin.
