KEY POINTS:
New Zealand hopes of overtaking South Africa's first innings 226 in opening cricket test in Johannesburg rest with former skipper Stephen Fleming when the match resumes tonight (NZ time).
At stumps on the first day New Zealand were 41-2, still 185 runs in arrears. Fleming was on 22, scored from just 16 balls.
Recovering from a dislocated thumb, Fleming came in as the shadows lengthened at the Wanderers to play a breezy cameo.
He twice cut Makhaya Ntini over the slips, flicked Andre Nel over backward square leg for six, and played and missed enough to leave even Nel speechless.
New Zealand needed just 2-1/2 sessions to bowl South Africa out Graeme Smith won the toss and opted to bat.
The stars of the day were opening bowlers Chris Martin and Shane Bond who maintained a nagging line and length throughout, probing for weaknesses and finding them often.
Bond, relishing his first test against South Africa, took four wickets for 73 runs and was batting at stumps as a nightwatchman.
Martin, who had two catches dropped, supported Bond well and took 3-67.
Bond was particularly on song in his first spell, removing Hashim Amla for 12 with a superb leg-cutter, and he said the bowlers had settled on a fuller length.
"We decided a fuller length was the way to go, but when we got too full, Herschelle (Gibbs) carved us up a bit.
"But I thought we bowled really well in the morning and then we kept chipping away.
"I was pleased with my performance, especially in my first spell, and it was nice to get some wickets because that's my predominant role in the team," Bond said.
Gibbs was the only batsman to stand up to the New Zealand attack, scoring a well compiled 63.
South Africa got off to the worst possible start when Smith attempted to leave a delivery from Martin in the second over and was bowled off the edge of his bat for one.
Hashim Amla scored 12 before Bond had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum with a delivery that bounced steeply and straightened after pitching.
Both of Martin's dropped catches were offered shortly before lunch by Jacques Kallis, who was spilled on 23 by Michael Papps at third slip and on 27 by Iain O'Brien at fine leg.
The errors did not prove costly as Kallis drove at the first delivery after lunch, which was bowled by medium pacer O'Brien, and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum for 29.
South Africa were reduced to 141 for five an hour before tea when Gibbs was caught by Fleming at first slip.
AB de Villiers stood firm for 33 while Mark Boucher nursed South Africa past 200 and was ninth out for 43.
New Zealand had to bat out 13 overs before stumps and Ntini and Dale Steyn both produced top-class new-ball spells to claim a wicket apiece.
Papps, on 2, edged Ntini into the hands of de Villiers at third slip and Steyn claimed Craig Cumming leg-before for 12.
- NZPA
