N Zealand v S Africa 2nd Test: Maharaj inspires SA

Second Test scores (Wellington)

South Africa win by 8 wickets

New Zealand 1st inns: 268 (Nicholls 118; Duminy 4-47, Maharaj 2-47)

South Africa 1st inns: 359 (de Kock 91, Bavuma 89; Grandhomme 3-52, Wagner 3-102) & 83-2 (Amla 38)

New Zealand 2nd inns: 171 (Raval 80; Maharaj 6-40, Morkel 3-50)

Day three report

Keshav Maharaj was South Africa's star as the spinner inspired an eight-wicket win over New Zealand in just three days of the second Test.

Maharaj produced career-best figures of six for 40 to bowl the Black Caps out for just 171 in their second innings, with the tourists then knocking their target of 81 off for the loss of two wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The left-armer, who was perhaps the beneficiary of some reckless batting, recorded match figures of eight for 87 and followed up a maiden five-wicket haul in the first Test last week.

South Africa added 10 runs to their overnight total of 349 for nine, posting a first-innings lead of 91, and their bowlers soon made the most of their advantage, with Morne Morkel taking three top-order scalps.

The tall paceman got rid of out-of-sorts Tom Latham (six), the influential Kane Williamson (one) and Neil Broom (20) to leave the hosts reeling on 64 for three.

And when Maharaj dismissed first-innings centurion Henry Nicholls and Jimmy Neesham in the same over, New Zealand were 90 for five and still in deficit.

The hosts finally put up some resistance as opener Jeet Raval and BJ Watling added 65 for the sixth wicket, which saw Raval post a fourth half-century of his career.

When he was stumped by Quinton de Kock off Maharaj for 80, New Zealand scored just 16 more runs for the final three wickets as any hopes of setting a sizeable target disintegrated.

The spinner snared Colin de Grandhomme and Tim Southee to claim a five-for, with his sixth wicket - Watling caught in the deep - ending the innings.

That left the Proteas with a modest target 81 and they lost both openers, but Hashim Amla (38no) and JP Duminy (15no) saw them home.

Day two report

A 160-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma turned around South Africa's fortunes in the second Test with New Zealand in Wellington.

After resuming on 24 for two in response to New Zealand's 268 all out, the tourists slumped to 94 for six and looked in danger of conceding a hefty first-innings deficit.

But de Kock and Bavuma came together, batting confidently for 39 overs to lead the recovery, though both men fell short of deserved centuries as South Africa closed on 349 for nine - a lead of 81 runs.

De Kock was the more aggressive of the two, hitting 91 off 118 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes, and was on course for a fourth Test hundred until he was caught behind off Jimmy Neesham.

Bavuma hung around long enough to take South Africa into the lead but he also missed out on three figures when he was bounced out by Neil Wagner for 89.

The Proteas really hurt their opponents, though, with an unbeaten 10th-wicket partnership of 47 between Vernon Philander (36) and Morne Morkel (31) taking their lead towards 100 by the end of day two.

When New Zealand took lunch they would have been hard-pressed to envisage such a plight after a brilliant first morning put them in the box seat.

Nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada was dismissed in just the second over of the day, lbw to Tim Southee, before South Africa's bowling hero JP Duminy gave his wicket away when on 16.

Colin de Grandhomme forced home New Zealand's advantage with the key wickets of Hashim Amla and skipper Faf du Plessis to leave South Africa reeling, but then de Kock and Bavuma produced an impressive fightback.

Day one report

Career-best bowling figures from JP Duminy helped South Africa take control of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington, before the hosts fought back.

The off-spinner took four for 47 as the hosts were bowled out for 268 on the first day, despite a maiden Test century for Henry Nicholls, who scored 118.

However, New Zealand offered a strong late fightback as they reduced the tourists to 24 for two at the end of the day.

When South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first in helpful conditions, not many would have expected their two spinners to take six wickets between them, but that was the case as Keshav Maharaj also chipped in with two.

It was their quick bowlers that did the early damage, though, as Morne Morkel removed opener Tom Latham and Kagiso Rabada picked up Kane Williamson and Neil Broom to reduce New Zealand to 21 for three.

That brought Nicholls to the crease and he provided some stability, helping the score into three figures. He was joined at the fall of the fifth wicket by BJ Watling and the pair put up some stern resistance, adding 116 runs in 38 overs, during which Nicholls brought up his first Test ton, from 150 balls with 12 fours.

When he was bowled by Duminy for 118, though, that was the end of any hopes of New Zealand passing 300, especially as Watling departed four overs later to leave them on 222 for eight.

Tim Southee (27) and Jeetan Patel (17) had some late-order fun, adding 44 in five overs, with both men hitting sixes, but the South Africans soon wrapped up the innings.

A tricky seven-over spell before the close did not go well, though, as they lost openers Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar in successive overs and they will resume 244 runs behind on day two.