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Hamilton - Colin de Grandhomme fired with bat and ball to back up Kane Williamson's 176 as New Zealand tightened the screws on South Africa in the series deciding final Test in Hamilton on Tuesday.
As it happened: NZ v Proteas, 3rd Test - Day 4
At stumps on day four, South Africa were 80 for five in
their second innings, still 95 runs short of making New Zealand bat again.
Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock were both 15 not out.
De Grandhomme, whose lower order 57 helped push New Zealand
to 489, a lead of 175, struck in the sixth over of South Africa's reply with
the wicket of Dean Elgar for five. He rounded off his day with a smart catch to
dismiss Hashim Amla.
The Zimbabwe-born de Grandhomme was not required for the
first Test when Elgar scored 140 and 89 but in four innings since he has
removed the opener for scores of nine, 17, five and five.
The loss of Elgar should have signalled to South Africa it
was time to dig in but instead wickets fell at regular intervals.
Theinus de Bruyn was run out for 12 in a bizarre mid-pitch
collision after an Amla drive to mid-off.
De Bruyn was keeping an eye on the fielder and veered into Amla, leaving the batsmen sprawled on the ground as Williamson threw to BJ Watling to complete the dismissal.
Amla, on eight then, progressed to 19 when he edged a ball
from Jeetan Patel which rebounded off Watling's glove to the sole slip de
Grandhomme.
Patel also bowled JP Duminy (13) and Matt Henry had Temba
Bavuma caught behind for one to leave South Africa 59 for five before du
Plessis and de Kock survived 12 overs to stumps.
Should New Zealand level the series it will be a remarkable
turnaround from the eight-wicket, three-day hiding suffered in the second Test,
and achieved without injured strike bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee as well
as senior batsman Ross Taylor.
New Zealand started the day with a seven-run lead and added
a further 168 with Williamson posting his third-highest Test score and de
Grandhomme chipping in with his maiden half-century.
After Williamson and Mitchell Santner consolidated the
innings with a patient 88-run stand for the fifth wicket, de Grandhomme
finished the innings with a flourish, smacking five fours and two sixes in his
70-ball stay.
Williamson had looked assured throughout until he hooked
Morkel to Vernon Philander at long leg after 449 minutes in the middle.
He faced 285 deliveries in the marathon innings which lasted
more than seven hours and included 16 fours and three sixes.
When Santner went in the last over before lunch for 41, de Grandhomme joined BJ Watling to lift the pace.
From less than two an over the run rate lifted to four with
Watling contributing 24 before he was bowled by Keshav Maharaj.
Henry added 12 and Patel five before the innings folded with
de Grandhomme gloving a Morne Morkel flyer through to wicketkeeper de Kock.
Morkel took four for 100 and Kagiso Rabada four for 122 while de Kock held five catches behind the stumps.
