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Tea South Africa 191 for 3 (Amla 70*, de Villiers, 29*) v New Zealand
Graeme Smith was given a working over on the first morning © Gallo Images
Unlike the first day at Newlands last week, the opening exchanges in Port Elizabeth resembled a proper Test match. South Africa were handily placed at tea on 191 for 3, but New Zealand made them work for their position with lively seam bowling on a surface that offered some encouragement.
Brendon McCullum looked a slightly relieved man when the coin fell in Graeme Smith's favour. Neither did he have to make a tricky decision nor were his team forced into the position where they could only lose another Test in a session. Few expect New Zealand to draw level in the series, but they need to build on the improvement showed after the horrid start in Cape Town.
And without putting South Africa firmly on the back foot at any stage they ensured it was not one-way traffic. They bowled better before lunch than one wicket suggested, although struggled to build pressure with loose balls being dispatched, especially by Hashim Amla, who was later dropped on 48, but the first hour of the afternoon brought the significant blows of Smith and Jacques Kallis.
Smith had not been at his best and was worked over by the New Zealand seamers. Doug Bracewell, during a testing opening spell, clonked him on the back of the helmet as Smith turned his head away from a bouncer. Smith needed a few minutes to compose himself and was close to being lbw a few moments later. That was a curious piece of cricket: the umpire said not out, McCullum decided not to review and replays showed it was hitting middle but Bracewell had overstepped.
His outside edge was located by all three seamers, but Smith was good enough to keep the ball short of the slips and benefited from a couple of boundaries to third man. Neil Wagner, recalled in place of Chris Martin, caused some tricky moments but had a tendency to bowl a touch short.
But as Smith so often does, he stuck in and reached fifty from 80 balls only to glance a delivery from Wagner down the leg side. For Wagner, the left-armer, it was an emotional wicket against a side that includes former team-mates. His later contest with AB de Villiers certainly had an extra level of intrigue.
Kallis began with an imperious pull but then got an inside edge driving at Bracewell which left South Africa 137 for 3. For the first time in the series there was just a small opening for New Zealand, although by tea Amla and de Villiers had settled the innings with a calm partnership.
There had been some early movement on offer - the first ball of the Test was a low full toss that swung to take Alviro Petersen's inside edge past the stumps as he drove - and there was some pace in the pitch which kept the batsmen on their toes. Petersen was the first wicket to fall, top edging Bracewell to fine leg when he failed to keep down a hook shot.
Amla had a slightly nervous start when he got a leading edge against Wagner which looped wide of mid-on. But when Jeetan Patel was introduced for the 15th over Amla was aggressive straight away with a powerful sweep and by lunch was starting to purr. He moved to the interval with two stylish leg-side clips but also showed the bowling respect when New Zealand struck after the break.
His fifty came with a cut through point three balls after he was given a life by Kane Williamson in the gully when he failed to keep down a back-cut. During the tour of Sri Lanka last year, Williamson pulled off a couple of stunning catches. This one was tough, but easier than those, and one New Zealand desperately needed him to take.
Graeme Smith was given a working over on the first morning © Gallo Images
Unlike the first day at Newlands last week, the opening exchanges in Port Elizabeth resembled a proper Test match. South Africa were handily placed at tea on 191 for 3, but New Zealand made them work for their position with lively seam bowling on a surface that offered some encouragement.
Brendon McCullum looked a slightly relieved man when the coin fell in Graeme Smith's favour. Neither did he have to make a tricky decision nor were his team forced into the position where they could only lose another Test in a session. Few expect New Zealand to draw level in the series, but they need to build on the improvement showed after the horrid start in Cape Town.
And without putting South Africa firmly on the back foot at any stage they ensured it was not one-way traffic. They bowled better before lunch than one wicket suggested, although struggled to build pressure with loose balls being dispatched, especially by Hashim Amla, who was later dropped on 48, but the first hour of the afternoon brought the significant blows of Smith and Jacques Kallis.
Smith had not been at his best and was worked over by the New Zealand seamers. Doug Bracewell, during a testing opening spell, clonked him on the back of the helmet as Smith turned his head away from a bouncer. Smith needed a few minutes to compose himself and was close to being lbw a few moments later. That was a curious piece of cricket: the umpire said not out, McCullum decided not to review and replays showed it was hitting middle but Bracewell had overstepped.
His outside edge was located by all three seamers, but Smith was good enough to keep the ball short of the slips and benefited from a couple of boundaries to third man. Neil Wagner, recalled in place of Chris Martin, caused some tricky moments but had a tendency to bowl a touch short.
But as Smith so often does, he stuck in and reached fifty from 80 balls only to glance a delivery from Wagner down the leg side. For Wagner, the left-armer, it was an emotional wicket against a side that includes former team-mates. His later contest with AB de Villiers certainly had an extra level of intrigue.
Kallis began with an imperious pull but then got an inside edge driving at Bracewell which left South Africa 137 for 3. For the first time in the series there was just a small opening for New Zealand, although by tea Amla and de Villiers had settled the innings with a calm partnership.
There had been some early movement on offer - the first ball of the Test was a low full toss that swung to take Alviro Petersen's inside edge past the stumps as he drove - and there was some pace in the pitch which kept the batsmen on their toes. Petersen was the first wicket to fall, top edging Bracewell to fine leg when he failed to keep down a hook shot.
Amla had a slightly nervous start when he got a leading edge against Wagner which looped wide of mid-on. But when Jeetan Patel was introduced for the 15th over Amla was aggressive straight away with a powerful sweep and by lunch was starting to purr. He moved to the interval with two stylish leg-side clips but also showed the bowling respect when New Zealand struck after the break.
His fifty came with a cut through point three balls after he was given a life by Kane Williamson in the gully when he failed to keep down a back-cut. During the tour of Sri Lanka last year, Williamson pulled off a couple of stunning catches. This one was tough, but easier than those, and one New Zealand desperately needed him to take.