The first Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Johannesburg started on a very overcast Thursday morning. The pitch was dry and flat, with just a tinge of grass on it, looking like it would favour the bowlers. With that and the overhead conditions, it was a surprise when Graeme Smith, the Proteas captain, chose to bat first.

Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori suggested that he, too, would have batted first – clearly they saw something that the rest of us didn’t.

When South Africa were 73 for three, I couldn’t help but think Vettori was thanking his lucky stars that he had lost the toss. Smith's side were all out for 226, their lowest Test match total against the Black Caps, leaving the fight up to our seam-heavy bowling attack. With two early breakthroughs, New Zealand ended the day on 41 for two, with Stephen Fleming and Shane Bond at the crease – yes, the night watchman Shane Bond.

‘As the New Zealand players came out to bat for the their second innings, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them… it was purely survival for them.’


Day two didn’t get any easier for the Kiwis. Losing wickets at regular intervals, they were all out for 118, a first innings deficit of 108. Dale Steyn’s five wickets in the innings showed up the Kiwis' lack of match practice – 11 months without international first-class cricket can only be blamed on the New Zealand Cricket Board or even the ICC. That's not taking anything away from the pace and skill of the SA bowlers, who persisted with the short-pitched deliveries, enabling them to defend such a modest first innings total.

South Africa didn’t waste their second innings, despite a shaky start when Smith was out for nine – taking his grand total in the match to 10 – and Herschelle Gibbs for eight.  Enter Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis. With a stand of 330, they set a record for a South African third-wicket partnership against New Zealand.

Sadly Kallis, the great batsman that he is, missed out on that first double ton which just seems to elude him. Well, we could call him a choker, but how many batsmen in this world would love to choke on their way to 200?

As for Amla, he removed any doubts over his position in the team and at number three with a well deserved and unbeaten 176. Everyone was expecting a declaration just before the tea break on day three, but South Africa batted on, mostly I think to give Amla the chance to get his double ton. But after a while it felt like the game was going stale – so Smith called them in as South Africa declared on 422 with a lead over 500.

As the New Zealand players came out to bat for the their second innings, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for them – not only were they faced with record run chase, but there was no sign of rain for the next three days … it was purely survival for them.

The next thing that struck me as odd was their opening pair – Craig Cumming and Fleming. Now I don’t pretend to know everything about cricket, but surely Fleming, who had spent most of day three in the pavilion due to a bruised arm thanks to a knock on the elbow by a Steyn delivery, couldn’t open the batting?

I did some digging and the ICC rules state that a player with an external injury can leave the field for treatment without moving down the batting order, whereas players with internal injuries – like Michael Papps, who spent most of day three in the hotel with a stomach bug – will have to work in the hours. That’s why he could only have come out to bat at number five.

Well, sadly it didn’t really help them, because the South African pacemen ran through their batting order in 51 overs. Thanks to his best bowling figures, Steyn helped secure a South African victory by 358 runs and scooped the man-of-the-match award for his first 10-wicket haul in Tests.

Overall, it was an intriguing test of mental strength – the lack of cricket was evident in the New Zealand side but a bigger worry is their growing injury list. Bond will miss the rest of the series and Jacob Oram is in doubt for the second Test. Will there be a great Kiwi fightback or will the next Test end in another South African victory?