Innings South Africa 0 for 0 need 101 to beat New Zealand 185 and 168 (Williamson 77, Philander 6-44)
Vernon Philander bagged his finest bowling figures in a sublime six-Test career, as South Africa set themselves 101 to win on day three in Hamilton. South Africa's seamers have been outstanding with the new ball so far on tour, but it was their command of reverse-swing bowling that demolished the hosts' lower order, and set New Zealand on course for a second successive three-day loss at Seddon Park. Philander finished with 6 for 44 from the innings, and 10 for 114 for the match, his Test average shrinking ever more impressively to 13.6.
Kane Williamson resisted South Africa for 193 deliveries, going past 50 for the first time in five Tests to finish on 77. Having resolutely seen out the first session, Philander needed only three balls to remove him in the second. The off-stump line had Williamson playing at the ball, and a hint of movement was enough to catch his outside edge. With New Zealand's last recognised batsman went their hopes of setting a challenging fourth innings target.
Morne Morkel found dramatic, late movement on his return to the crease and New Zealand's tail was clueless on how to counter it. Doug Bracewell was lucky to get an inside edge on one that struck him in front, but the rapid, tailing inswinger that sent his off stump cartwheeling might have got the better of most top-order batsmen. His dismissal was the second instance in the day where a New Zealand batsman had left a ball that moved in viciously to clip the stumps - Kruger van Wyk being the other.
Mark Gillespie swung wildly, hitting three boundaries off Philander's next over - but he was caught at slip on the last ball. Chris Martin didn't last long.
Williamson had begun the day watchfully, as Dale Steyn found the reverse swing that had undone Ross Taylor late on day two. Balls outside off stump were left alone, even those short and wide or overpitched, while the deliveries angled at the stumps were defended resolutely or worked towards the leg side. Williamson had ended the previous evening on 41, but took a further 43 balls to score the nine runs required for his half-century.
Daniel Vettori was almost as reticent, scoring significantly slower than his characteristic busy pace, despite a disposition to be more punishing on bad deliveries. A clipped boundary through the leg side had his innings under way, and though his vanquisher in the first innings, Vernon Philander, troubled him with the ball that darted back in, Vettori's hand-eye coordination was good enough to get bat on ball, even if his footwork was often muddled.
Graeme Smith moved methodically through his arsenal as he searched for a breakthrough, as the New Zealand pair saw out spells from the frontline seamers. But the hosts were reminded of the relentless threat in the opposition attack, when Jacques Kallis produced a terrific effort ball that reared sharply, and took Vettori's glove as he attempted to evade it.
Kruger van Wyk partnered Williamson astutely for his 20, negotiating Kallis and Imran Tahir with confidence, before surviving a short-ball barrage from Dale Steyn. But he could not see out the session against Philander, who reverse swung the ball significantly on his return to the crease, beating van Wyk's outside edge, before bringing one back in to take his off stump.
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