Fire alarm drama as South Africa edges ahead
DUNEDIN, New Zealand: South Africa shrugged off a ground evacuation because of a fire alarm to reach 38 for one in the first Test against New Zealand on Friday, a lead of five runs.
With the game evenly poised after an absorbing first three days, both sides were hoping looming rain over the weekend did not dictate the outcome. “It does seem pretty even but we don’t know what the weather holds. But hopefully we can make a game of it, it’s always nice to get a result,” said South Africa’s man of the moment Keshav Maharaj.
Maharaj claimed his first five wicket haul to halt the New Zealand innings at 341 with a Kane Williamson ton and the heroics of an injury-hit Ross Taylor giving them a 33-run first-innings lead.
BJ Watling, who contributed to New Zealand’s total with 50, believed a result was still possible with “one crazy session” that could change the balance.
“We’ve just got to (take) each session at a time and see what that leaves us with,” he said.
“You can’t play a game of cricket expecting it to rain because sometimes it doesn’t and you get caught out. It’s just the nature of the beast.” T. Latham c de Kock b Philander J. Raval c Elgar b Maharaj K. Williamson c de Kock b Rabada R. Taylor not out H. Nicholls c Amla b Maharaj J. Patel c du Plessis b Philander J. Neesham c d Kock b Morkel B. Watling b Maharaj M. Santner c Maharaj b Morkel N. Wagner c Duminy b Maharaj T. Boult b Maharaj S. Cook c Watling b Boult D. Elgar not out H. Amla not out 308 10 52 130 15 12 16 7 50 4 32 2 11 341 1-15, 2-117, 3-165, 4-184, 5-193, 6-277, 7-297, 8-304, 9-324, 10-341.
30-7-92-1 (1w), Philander 27-11-67-2 (2nb), Morkel 24-6-62-2, Maharaj 28.3-7-94-5, Duminy 5-0-18-0. 0 12 23 3 38 for one wkt) 0. Boult 4-2-6-1, Wagner 4-1-8-0, Santner 5-2-6-0, Patel 5-2-15-0.