Cricket: Test heading for inevitable conclusion

South Africa's Ashwell Prince plays a shot last night while New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris watch on. Picture / Reuters

CAPE TOWN - New Zealand's hopes of posting a historic test series win against South Africa have been condemned for another five years.

The side who view South Africa as one of their final frontiers were left with only survival to play for this morning after the hosts avoided the follow-on in the second test, effectively snuffing out the last chance of a result.

Having been routed at Centurion last week, New Zealand will head for the Wanderers at the end of tomorrow's fifth day, where they will pin their hopes on winning the final showdown and at least squaring the series.

Any suggestion of having more to play for was scotched at Newlands this morning when South African batsmen Hashim Amla, Ashwell Prince and Jacques Kallis combined to put the second test beyond New Zealand.

Requiring 394 to avoid the follow-on after New Zealand's impressive first innings total of 593 for eight declared, South Africa had a couple of anxious moments just before the tea break, but motored safety past the mark soon after the resumption.

When bad light stopped play last night they were sitting pretty at 427 for five, with Ashwell Prince on 70 and Mark Boucher on 26, having ably dealt with the twin spin threats of Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel, and the pace trio of

James Franklin, Chris Martin and Jacob Oram.

For all that, the star of day four was undoubtedly the stylish Amla, who surged to his maiden test century just before lunch and was unlucky to be adjudged leg before shortly before tea for 149, to a ball from Vettori that took the inside edge of his bat.

The only wickets to fall in the day were those of the Kallis, who miscued an attempted pull-shot on 71, the wristy Amla, and AB de Villiers, who fell to a bat-pad catch off the bowling of Patel on the stroke of the tea adjournment.

By the time the light started fading at 4.30pm, Prince was starting to gain complete control, having displayed good attacking intent while facing 181 balls and striking five boundaries.

New Zealand wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum said that, regardless of what happens on the final day at Newlands, the tourists would ride a wave of momentum to Johannesburg for the third test.

McCullum said given the solid second test performance, he was sure New Zealand would head north this week with an increased sense of confidence, and with a belief that they could at least square the series.

"First and foremost we're looking for a win, but if it doesn't happen then we head to Johannesburg with an opportunity of saving the series, and that can be a strong motivating factor in its own right," he said.

"We've got some tough cricket in front of us here, but whatever happens, I think we'll carry some good momentum into the last test.

"I think we've created regular opportunities with the ball. On another day we could have had them 150 for four or five, so hopefully what we've done in this test so far will have a flow-on effect soon, or at least at Johannesburg." 

SCOREBOARD


At stumps on the fourth day of the second cricket test between New Zealand and South Africa at Newlands:

South Africa
First innings (155-2 overnight)

G Smith c and b Patel 25
B Dippenaar b Patel 47
H Amla lbw Vettori 149
J Kallis c Martin b Oram 71
A Prince not out 70
AB de Villiers c Papps b Patel 13
M Boucher not out 26
Extras (15b 8lb 3nb) 26
Total (for 5 wkts, 151 overs) 427

Fall: 36 (Smith) 108 (Dippenaar) 252 (Kallis) 344 (Amla) 361 (de Villiers)

Bowling: C Martin 14-4-47-0; J Franklin 23-5-60-0; D Vettori 48-5-123-1 (1nb); J Patel 39-7-112-3 (1nb); S Styris 10-2-33-0 (1nb); J Oram 15-9-20-1; N Astle 2-0-9-0.

New Zealand
First innings 593-8 dec