South Africa v New Zealand - Second Test

The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

South Africa: BA Richards, EJ Barlow, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.
New Zealand: GM Turner, B Sutcliffe, GP Howarth, MD Crowe, MP Donnelly, *JR Reid, +AC Parore, RJ Hadlee, BR Taylor, J Cowie, SL Boock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: DM Archer (WI) & BC Cooray (SL)
Toss: South Africa

South Africa sealed the series with a crushing 299 run victory in Johannesburg, and although the tourists managed to force the match into a fifth day, the nature of the cricket played led one to the conclusion that there have been few more one-sided affairs in ATG history.

Having taken his 200th wicket in Bloemfontein, a lack of productivity with the bat meant that Trevor Goddard was dropped for this Test, thus ending his proud record of 62 consecutive appearances for South Africa, but his replacement, Eddie Barlow, found no difficulty in getting amongst the runs as New Zealand's bowlers were put to the sword in South Africa's first innings.

An opening partnership of 88 between Barlow and Richards (56) was followed by a second ball dismissal for the worryingly out of form Cronje, but then Barlow and Pollock proceeded to take the tourists' bowling apart with a 248 run stand that was simply all too easy for both batsmen. The less said about New Zealand's bowling the better; Hadlee and Cowie both looked tired after having been asked to do a lot of work in the first Test, and the standard of the Kiwis' fielding deteriorated markedly as the innings progressed.

That said, it was a run out that finally brought the partnership to an end; Sutcliffe's throw from the deep allowed Geoff Howarth - recalled for this match in place of Andrew Jones - to break the wicket with Pollock a foot short of his ground, but Pollock had made 135 by that stage and South Africa already had 336 on the board. Barlow, whose only previous appearance had come against Australia way back in Season I, went on to record a magnificent 160, and to rub salt into the wounds, Jonty Rhodes scampered his way to 103 before Cronje declared at tea on day two with the scoreboard reading an imposing 565-9.

New Zealand's reply began encouragingly, with a fine 80 from Turner helping to take the score to 132-1, but exactly one hundred runs later it was all over as the remainder of the innings subsided against the unremitting pace of Donald, Procter and Adcock, with only Parore's three hour 38 providing any resistance down the order. With a lead of 333, Cronje decided not to enforce the follow-on, and led by a sparkling, undefeated 82 from Cullinan, the South Africans raced to 152-4 in their second innings before Cronje declared for the second time in the match, this time with a lead of 485 runs.

New Zealand began their final innings after lunch on day four, and again they began brightly, a partnership of 77 between Turner and Crowe taking the score to 103-2 half an hour into the evening session. But, in an unedifying repeat of the first innings, New Zealand's batting fell away dramatically thereafter, and it was only a boisterous 32 from Taylor at number nine that managed to take the game, albeit briefly, into a fifth day. New Zealand were finally bowled out for 186, having lost their last eight wickets for 83 runs, and the expressions of resignation on the visitors' balcony were there for all to see. South Africa's dominance in every department of the game had been total, and after their string of fighting performances against the West Indies, New Zealand's capitulation both here and in Bloemfontein has been most disappointing. South Africa need only to avoid defeat in the final Test to secure second place in the world rankings, and it would take a brave, or foolish, man to bet against that happening now.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards
(click to enlarge)

Scores
SAF 1st Inns 565-9 dec. (Barlow 160, Pollock 135, Rhodes 103, Richards 56)
NZL 1st Inns 232 (Turner 80)
SAF 2nd Inns 152-4 dec. (Cullinan 82*)
NZL 2nd Inns 186 (Turner 49; Procter 4-47)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 299 RUNS


Man of the Match: EJ Barlow