CENTURION - For a couple of moments last night you could close your eyes and dream you were back at Ellis Park in 1953, when New Zealand's top order were put through the mill by a combination of a dodgy pitch and a South African fast bowler named Neil Adcock.
Just an hour's drive up the main drag at Centurion, the present-day incarnation were being destroyed in eerily similar scenes, with batsmen being struck all over the body, fast-bowling of the highest quality, stunned silence from the crowd - everything but the train wreck.
The only notable difference was that the fast-bowler was the in-form Makhaya Ntini, the batsman worst struck was the embattled Hamish Marshall and the diabolical surface was located at SuperSport, rather than Ellis Park.
The similarities began with the start of last night's fourth day (New Zealand time), South Africa's last pair of Ntini and Dale Steyn adding a further 19 runs before unleashing another maelstrom against the tourists' top order.
Requiring 249 to win, New Zealand made their customary start to the innings and were virtually gone by lunchtime, at which stage they'd crashed to 34 for six after the demise of Peter Fulton, experimental No 3 Kyle Mills, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Nathan Astle and Jacob Oram.
The first five all perished to catches behind the wicket and Oram, one of the side's main hopes after scoring a career-best 133 on day two, was comprehensively bowled by an Ntini delivery that kept a shade low.
By the time the first break arrived, New Zealand's hopes were pinned on Brendon McCullum and opener Hamish Marshall, who was beaten but unbowed after taking a pummelling all over the body from the South African paceman, including one excruciating blow in the ribs from Ntini.
Bad light mercifully delayed play for 80 minutes after lunch but the trend continued soon after the resumption when McCullum was caught at slip off Steyn for 33 off 38 balls, to leave New Zealand at 73 for seven, and in what appeared a terminal dive.
Marshall's courage while being peppered all over the body was one of the few bright aspects of the performance, particularly as the little right-hander came into the game under intense selection pressure, which increased markedly when he failed in the first innings.
As batsmen fell all around him, the 27-year-old clung to survival by his fingernails, much as he did during his debut six years ago at the Wanderers, when he made an unbeaten 40 after an onslaught from Ntini and Mfuneko Ngam.
Marshall was unbeaten on 22 at tea after steering New Zealand to 89 for seven with help from Daniel Vettori (12 not out), and with further assistance looming only in the form of James Franklin and Chris Martin.
New Zealand's collapse came just hours after South African star Jacques Kallis lambasted the state of his country's pitches, claiming wickets like the one at SuperSport Park were undermining the game and short-changing the public.
Speaking before the start of the fourth day, Kallis said it was time administrators began taking note of the declining standards in South African pitch surfaces and worked harder towards giving the players a more appropriate stage.
His comments came after three days of living hell for batsmen on a pitch that made run-scoring a complete gamble, particularly in the early morning session and with the new ball.
Players from both teams have been struck in the hands, throat and helmet.
South Africa's Makhaya Ntini celebrates the wicket of Peter Fulton in Pretoria yesterday. Picture / Reuters
CENTURION - For a couple of moments last night you could close your eyes and dream you were back at Ellis Park in 1953, when New Zealand's top order were put through the mill by a combination of a dodgy pitch and a South African fast bowler named Neil Adcock.
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