Colin de Grandhomme smacked a rapid 50 for the Black Caps. Photo / Photosport
After a day in which five specialist batsmen threw their wickets away with loose shots, the Black Caps' saviour could be a man who bats more freely than anyone.
Colin de Grandhomme dragged the Black Caps to stumps at 157-5 on day two of the second test against
South Africa, still 207 runs in arrears but holding far more hope than when he walked to the crease.
Then, the Black Caps were 91-5, with de Grandhomme joining Daryl Mitchell in a partnership between the last two recognised batsmen. Normally, that would be a sign that application and knuckling down was required, but de Grandhomme doesn't do things by the book, and his aggressive 54 not out off 61 balls has given the Black Caps a lifeline back into the test.
Often, de Grandhomme's bluster is utilised as the icing on the cake, with the big man coming in to further demoralise tiring bowled attacks by plastering them all over the park.
One such example can be found in the first test, when he made 45 off 42 balls after coming to the crease at 273-6, but to reduce his efforts to being a flat-track bully would be to understate his credentials.
