MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Kyle Jamieson’s four-wicket haul backed up by Mitchell Santner’s three-for helped New Zealand record a mammoth 281-run win over South Africa in the first Test in Mount Maunganui – their second highest in terms of runs. The margin of defeat would have been much more if not for David Bedingham’s counterattacking 87 off 96 balls, where he took on the short ball with some aplomb.
Jamieson struck twice each after the lunch and tea breaks, breaking important stands as South Africa, who were chasing 529 for a win, folded for 247 in 80 overs. There were good partnerships built, but South Africa lost wickets in clusters way too often to go down. Aside from Bedingham, Zubayr Hamza, Raynard van Tonder and Keegan Petersen all got starts but none of them could go on and get a big one.
Earlier, New Zealand expectedly declared their second innings overnight on 179 for 4, setting South Africa an improbable target. Their bowlers Matt Henry and Tim Southee immediately found assistance under overcast skies to leave South Africa at 5 for 2 in the fourth over. While Southee troubled Edward Moore in the first over by curling the ball both ways, Henry seemingly had Neil Brand caught behind with his second delivery, as Tom Blundell took a stunning catch to his left. The South Africa captain, however, was saved on review.
Brand’s stay at the crease was short-lived though, as Southee breached his defence with an incoming beauty. He got the ball to jag in from the around-the-wicket angle, and Brand, unsure whether to play at the ball or leave it, was late and saw his stumps in a mess. At that point, with the ball hooping around and the batters unsure, a collapse was on the cards. But Hamza and van Tonder hung around.
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Hamza, who had looked solid in the first innings, got the first four of the innings in the 11th over – a firm punch through covers off Jamieson – before cutting Southee square soon after. Van Tonder, on a pair on debut, got his first runs in Tests with a push past mid-on. He had his nervous moments though, as an edge fell short of second slip to along with a number of plays and misses, but he kept going. The pair soon brought up the first 50-run stand for South Africa in the Test, and moved to lunch unscathed.
But having fought hard, debutant van Tonder’s 83-ball vigil ended three overs after lunch when he edged a full-length Jamieson delivery straight into the hands of Tom Latham, who was stationed a tad wide at slips. Two overs later, it was Hamza’s turn to depart when his meek attempt at a pull could only go as far as Southee at mid-on.
Bedingham and Petersen joined forces in the 33rd over with the score at 73 for 4, and added 105 for the fifth wicket, with the former doing the bulk of the scoring. Bedingham started nervously, swishing and missing at a couple of balls and then twice edging Jamieson past the lone slip Latham, who was positioned wide. But Petersen, at the other end, looked more solid.
For 11 overs from the 35th to the 46th, South Africa could only manage 16 runs, with a single boundary. There were chances created, but none that really went to hand. Then came Matt Henry with a short-ball plan, and Bedingham decided to cut loose. Having decided to take his name out of the SA20 draft in a bid to play this series, Bedingham showed off his T20 ware in this Test – and in style. Henry went short at him four times in four balls, but was carted for a boundary each time by making room and stepping towards the leg side, in an over that went for 19.
