Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Day 3

1886dFirdose Moonda in Wellington

Maharaj withstands the wind

Keshav Maharaj has more wickets than any of Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander or Kagiso Rabada this series. For a change, the quicks were creating pressure so the spinner could profit. How South African cricket has changed

1886dFirdose Moonda in Wellington

'Asked for real hard cricketers' - du Plessis

Faf du Plessis praised his team for fighting hard through the difficult phases of the second Test, after they overcame a score of 94 for 6 in the first innings to win comprehensively on the third day

1886dAndrew McGlashan in Wellington

Need to play spin a 'hell of a lot better' - Williamson

After having slipped from a position of dominance to an eight-wicket loss, Kane Williamson said New Zealand's application against spin in the second innings wasn't close to their standard

Day 2

1886dThe Report by Andrew McGlashan

De Kock, Bavuma fashion crucial lead

A 160-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma led South Africa's dominant recovery from 94 for 6 to end the second day with a lead of 81 in Wellington

1886dFirdose Moonda in Wellington

Needed to be more aggressive than usual - de Kock

Quinton de Kock said he wasn't affected by facing Jeetan Patel despite falling to the spinner in his last four international innings, and just focused on turning the pressure around on the hosts

1886dFirdose Moonda in Wellington

Bavuma, de Kock follow through on Hobart promise

Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock complement each other perfectly. They take pressure off each other because Bavuma knows de Kock will keep the scoreboard moving and de Kock knows Bavuma will show the caution required at the other end

Day 1

1886dFirdose Moonda at Basin Reserve

Nicholls passes the test - for team and self

When Henry Nicholls came out to bat at Basin Reserve, South Africa were sizzling and his career was fizzling. By the time he was done, he had dealt with both problems

1886dFirdose Moonda in Wellington

Duminy moves closer to spinning allrounder role

After his career-best 4 for 47 against New Zealand, JP Duminy said even though the work had been put into his bowling, there weren't too many opportunities to improve

Others

Winning Ways

0

Instances of New Zealand beating South Africa in series either home or away. SA take a 1-0 lead and cannot lose the series.

Rare feat

1973

Last Instance of a visiting Spinner to take 2 five wicket hauls in consecutive matches in New Zealand - Intikhab Alam took six and seven in Dunedin

Watling at Wellington

20

Percentage of career runs scored by BJ Watling at the Basin Reserve. Before this match Watling has scored 511 runs with 2 centuries and 2 half centuries

Not a great match

3

Runs scored by Kane Williamson in this match - His least match aggregate in which he has batted twice. His previous lowest was 6 runs vs England in 2015

Spinners on Day 1

1946

Last instance of spinners taking 5 or more wickets on Day 1 of a Test at Basin Reserve. Bill O'Reilly took 5 for 14 to dismiss NZ for 42.

First Century

1

Number of centuries for Henry Nicholls in Tests. His previous highest score was 98 against Bangladesh in Christchurch earlier this year.

Sixth Wicket Stands

76.5

Average sixth wicket stand at Basin Reserve since Jan 2012 - highest for any ground with a minimum of 15 innings.

Rabada vs Williamson

3

Number of times Rabada has dimissed Kane Williamson from 4 innings in Tests. Williamson has scored 61 runs from 116 balls so far.

Not a Dream Debut

0

Runs scored by Neil Broom today on debut. Last instance of a batsmen from NZ to be dismissed for a duck on debut was Tom Latham against India at Basin Reserve.

Tough Conditions

199

Average score from last three Tests for NZ in the first innings of the match at the Basin Reserve. In those three innings they have not managed to bat more than 55 overs.