November 17, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 06, 1428

CENTURION (South Africa), Nov 16: South African fast bowler Dale Steyn took four wickets to pile the pressure on New Zealand on the first day of the second and final Test on Friday.

New Zealand, who won the toss and chose to bat, lurched to 187-8 before bad light ended play three overs after tea.

A fiery Steyn, who took match figures of 10-93 in the first Test in Johannesburg, claimed 4-42.

Paceman Makhaya Ntini struck in the eighth over of the match when Michael Papps, who scored nine, played away from his body to a wide delivery and edged a catch to Herschelle Gibbs in the gully.

Craig Cumming and Lou Vincent consolidated in a stand that took New Zealand to lunch without further loss.

Ten balls into the second session Vincent top-edged a pull to a delivery from Steyn and was caught by Paul Harris at mid-on for 33 to end the partnership at 62.

Four overs later, Cumming, who was dropped on 37 before lunch, missed with a hook shot off Steyn and was struck in the face.

Cumming retired on 48 and was taken to hospital for an X-ray examination, which revealed a depressed fracture of the cheekbone.

In his next over, Steyn trapped Scott Styris in front for three, leaving fast bowlers Andre Nel and Jacques Kallis to reduce New Zealand to 184-6 at tea.

Nel had Ross Taylor caught by Prince in the gully for 17 before Kallis induced a slash from Stephen Fleming which was caught by Prince at backward point to end a gritty innings of 43.

New Zealand reached lunch at 84 for one but ten balls after the interval Steyn made a breakthrough when Vincent mistimed a pull and popped up an easy catch to midwicket. Cumming and Vincent put on 62 for the second wicket, the best partnership for the tourists in the two Tests.

Cumming, who batted for 151 minutes and faced 107 balls, suffered his injury four overs later before Scott Styris played across a fast, full delivery from Steyn and was lbw.

Fleming looked in fine touch but he, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum were all dismissed before tea, with McCullum falling to the last ball before the interval when he was caught at third slip off Andre Nel.

Nel, who earlier had Taylor caught at gully, took two for 42.

Fleming made his 43 off 57 balls with six fours and a hooked six off Steyn before he was out tamely, cutting Jacques Kallis to Ashwell Prince at backward point.

Steyn’s pace overwhelmed tailenders Mark Gillespie and Iain O’Brien in the ten minutes of play possible after tea. Gillespie, playing in his first Test, lasted three balls before he was trapped in front. O’Brien slashed at the first ball he faced and was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at gully.

Steyn’s chance of a hat-trick disappeared when he bowled a poor ball down the leg-side to Chris Martin. One ball later the umpires called off play.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings):

C.D. Cumming retired hurt 48

M.H.W. Papps c Gibbs b Ntini 9

L. Vincent c Harris b Steyn 33

S.P. Fleming c Prince b Kallis 43

S.B. Styris lbw b Steyn 3

R.L. Taylor c Prince b Nel 17

B.B. McCullum c de Villiers b Nel 13

D.L. Vettori not out 16

M.R. Gillespie lbw b Steyn 0

I.E. O’Brien c Gibbs b Steyn 0

C.S. Martin not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-3) 5

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 56 overs) 187

FALL OF WKTS: 1-26, 2-88, 3-105, 4-147, 5-165, 6-184, 7-187, 8-187.

BOWLING (to-date): Steyn 14-5-42-4 (1nb); Ntini 15-4-51-1; Kallis 11-2-35-1 (2nb); Nel 13-3-42-2; Harris 3-0-15-0.

SOUTH AFRICA: G.C. Smith, H.H. Gibbs, H.M. Amla, J.H. Kallis, A.G. Prince, A.B. de Villiers, M.V. Boucher, A. Nel, P.L. Harris, D.W. Steyn, M. Ntini.

UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: K.H. Hurter (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

—Agencies