Image Credit- NZC
South Africa paid a price for their lack of experience
and pace, as well as the chances they gave up to both batters, thanks to
centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra, who were playing at quite
opposite phases of their careers and had quite different approaches. By the end
of the first day, the pair had amassed 219 runs for the unbroken third wicket,
demoralising a determined South Africa side that had restricted the hosts to a
precarious 39 for 2 in the opening session.
After a rocky start, Williamson was the more patient
and cautious of the two as he reached his best Test score, while Ravindra
blasted a six off his eleventh ball.
In the second over of the match, Tshepo Moreki, making
his Test debut, took wicket with his first ball when he trapped Devon Conway
leg before wicket for one. Ravindra and Williamson then had to guide New
Zealand out of difficulty. Williamson was defeated three times in fifteen balls
by Moreki in his precise opening spell of 5-1-10-1, scoring only five runs.
Dane Paterson also put the hitters to the test with
his wobbling seam movement, quickly drawing Tom Latham’s outside edge for
twenty runs. The nerves were aroused when Ravindra tapped his fifth ball
towards cover point for a quick single, but the throw went wide, almost running
out Williamson. The hosts would have been 44 for 3 at that point if Williamson
had been removed.
With a much more assured opening over the long-leg
boundary, Ravindra invited back Moreki for a second spell. Even so, Moreki kept
up his impressive form, drawing Ravindra’s edge three balls later, but it was
well short of second slip.
Due to the four South African quicks’ tight bowling,
the pair patiently played through a wicketless second session of 27 overs for
just 60 runs, with many blocks and leaves. Six players, including their captain
Neil Brand, were making their Mount Maunganui debuts as part of South Africa’s
all-pace bowling assault. Aside from Ireland and Afghanistan, it was the first
time since 1995 that a Test nation’s skipper made their debut while the team
wasn’t playing its maiden Test.
South Africa’s fortunes didn’t change even after the
second new ball, which was slapped straightaway for a four by both batters.
Ravindra continued to collect boundaries off Moreki, whether he pitched it full
or short, to overtake Williamson and finish the day unbeaten on 118, ten ahead
of the former captain.