HAMILTON, March 10: Jacques Kallis' fine form for South Africa in Test matches this season continued on the first day of the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday.

South Africa were 279 for four at close of play with Gary Kirsten not out 31 and night watch man Paul Adams on seven. After scoring 711 runs with four centuries against the West Indies, Kallis pushed aside some indifferent form on the tour to date and scored 92 before hooking Jacob Oram to Daryl Tuffey on the backward square boundary 20 minutes from stumps.

It was one of the few rash shots that led to his downfall. He had been becalmed on 90 for 21 balls and appeared to be riding out the new ball danger when he fell, having faced 177 balls and hit 11 fours and three sixes.

Kallis shared a 132-run partnership with Jacques Rudolph and partnered Kirsten in a 60-run stand until he was out.

Rudolph did not add to his tea score of 72. He became Brendon McCullum's first victim in Test cricket when he got an edge to a Scott Styris delivery and the wicket-keeper dived wide and low to his left to clutch the ball centimetres above the ground.

South Africa won the toss and batted on the barren pitch. They lost skipper Graeme Smith with the score at 51 when he attempted to loft left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori over long-on, hitting directly to Jacob Oram at midwicket and going for 25.

At 79, Herschelle Gibbs, who had hit Vettori over long-on for six, illustrated the sluggish nature of the pitch when he attempted a back foot drive off Vettori. He was through the shot before the ball arrived and hit a hard catch to Styris at short cover.

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