England v West Indies, 1st Test, Lord's, Cricinfo,Highlights

England 398 (Strauss 122) and 193 for 5 (Cook 79, Bell 63*, Roach 3-60) beat West Indies 243 (Chanderpaul 87*, Broad 7-72) and 345 (Chanderpaul 91, Samuels 86, Broad 4-93) by 5 wickets

Watch Highlights

West Indies had commanded respect and, for a fleeting moment, they even invited hope among their long-suffering supporters but at the end of the Lord's Test it was a familiar tale of defeat. Two early wickets briefly raised West Indies' expectations that a startling victory might be in their grasp but they were summarily dashed as Alastair Cook and Ian Bell swept England to a comfortable five-wicket victory.

From 57 for 4, still 134 short of victory, Cook and Bell should have been under pressure, but they gambolled along at roughly four runs an over in a stand of 132. It ended with England two short of victory when Cook chopped Darren Sammy to gully. Ian Bell, who is already beginning to look like his old self again after a torrid winter, flicked Marlon Samuels through mid-on for the winning boundary in the next over.

The sun that is now finally promised after a raggy-arsed spring will have been a relief for West Indies, but it shone upon on an England victory that has put them 1-0 up in the series with two to play.

West Indies have now won just two of their 31 Tests since they dismissed England for 51 in Jamaica in 2009. They have only a few days to reassess before the second Test begins in Nottingham on Friday. All manner of theories will be bandied around about which absent players might have made them better, but the debate should not be about absent individuals, it should be about the reason most of them are absent - and that debate is about how the financial lure of IPL is threatening Test cricket, and Caribbean cricket in particular. There must be a window, a compromise, a solution. Instead what we have is a short-sighted flexing of muscles.

Apart from Kemar Roach, no West Indies bowler was able to build much pressure. England will feel stronger for having to answer a few questions and Tim Bresnan, who does not much look like a lucky mascot, which tend to be cuddlier and fluffier, now has 12 Test wins in 12. Mascot or not, it is about the identity of their third seamer at Trent Bridge that England's own debate will most centre.

There were no 4am queues as there had been at Lord's for the final day against India a year earlier but expectancy was high and there were officially 7,000 in the ground for a final day that many had assumed would not happen. West Indies had given England a fiery four overs on the fourth evening but they needed early wickets to stir the imagination a second time.

Smart stats England's five-wicket win is their sixth in their last seven Tests at Lord's, and their 14th in 25 Tests here since 2000. Their win-loss ratio of 4.66 is among their best inhome venues during this period. For West Indies, the Lord's defeat is their 43rd in their last 58 Tests in overseas or neutral venues (excluding Tests in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). They have only won two of those matches. The 132-run partnership between Alastair Cook and Ian Bell is the second-highest fifth-wicket stand for England in the fourth innings of a Test. Kemar Roach's match haul of six wickets is his highest in an overseas Test. Only twice has he taken more wicketsin a Test match. Cook's 79 is his fifth 50-plus score in 23 fourth-innings efforts. For Bell, it's his sixth half-century in 19 innings.

They got them too: Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen removed with the new ball still hard. On each occasion, a West Indies fast bowler responded to a boundary by delivering something better.

Roach, West Indies' main hope, set things moving in his third over of the morning. Trott steered him deliberately through the slips for four, and had a similar outcome in mind from the next ball, but this time it gripped up the hill and Darren Sammy took a good catch to his left at second slip.

Pietersen had fulsome strokeplay in mind to get England out of a tight corner. He had memories of a big hundred in Colombo to sustain him, and the adulation of IPL. It was not long before he was met by a debutant, Shannon Gabriel, and the temptation to break his nerve immediately must have been high.

Gabriel, a 24-year-old Trinidadian, dragged his third ball down short and wide and Pietersen pulled it haughtily to the midwicket boundary for four. The next ball was also short, but straighter, and Pietersen was cramped as he again sought out midwicket's open spaces and succeeded only in bottom-edging to the wicketkeeper.

At 57 for 4, even though one of the wickets was the nightwatchman Anderson, England were under the cosh. But the wicket was still sound and England accepted opportunities to press ahead quickly. Cook kept England's innings moving forward with several controlled drives and West Indies turned to Samuels' off spin. It was delivered at a saunter with no suggestion that a Test was in the balance and Bell's late cut in his first over brought up the 50 stand in only 12 overs.

Roach apart, West Indies' attack offered little. Edwards was out of sorts, Gabriel's accuracy wavered and Sammy lacked menace. Cook's pull shot against Sammy, followed up by a crisp late cut against Samuels to bring up his fifty, smacked of restored England authority. England rustled up 121 runs in 28 overs in an enterprising morning's batting with Cook, still to score at start of play, reaching his half-century in the penultimate over before the break.

Quite why Samuels was still bowling after lunch was a mystery. The idea that in the absence of Shane Shillingford, who took 10 wickets in his last Test, Samuels might spin them to victory was a Caribbean fairy story.

To turn to Roach was more appropriate but his threat had diminished. It was eight overs into the afternoon before Ian Bell advanced to drive Samuels for the first boundary of the session, but England had picked off 28 runs of the further 60 they needed in the meantime. Bell gloved a bouncer from Roach to fine leg for another boundary as victory became inevitable, Roach limped from the field at the end of a stout-hearted effort and it was not long before his team mates followed.

West Indies v Australia, 1st Test, Bridgetown, Day5,Cricinfo

Clarke finds inspiration from Adelaide '06 heist

Michael Clarke's belief that the Bridgetown Test match could be won was forged six years ago in the middle of Adelaidle Ova. He had been joined at the wicket by Shane Warne, Australia struggling for first innings parity with England on the fourth day of what seemed destined to be a drawn Ashes Test. Simply and clearly, Warne told Clarke the match would be won. On a scarcely believable final day, it was.

Clarke carried that memory with him throughout the first Test against the West Indies, and echoed Warne in assuring his team that the Barbados match remained within their grasp. After a mighty struggle over the final two days, the visitors dragged themselves up from a position every bit as dire as the one occupied by Australia against England in 2006, and another remarkable victory was secured. It made Clarke only the second captain in the history of Test cricket to win a match after declaring behind.

"I remember Warney telling me back then that with a day and a half left in the Test match that we would win the game and I was trying to work out how," Clarke said of 2006. "At best surely we'd get a draw but he had no doubt in his mind. For me as a young player I thought 'right-o, that's my attitude, I'm going to win'. A few years on and I'm in the change rooms telling the boys we're going to win this Test match. Hopefully a few of them believed me the way I believed Warney back then.

"It shows, if you have that self-belief and belief in the inner sanctum and the guys that sit beside you that you find ways. That was the main thing I said to the boys today. I know it's tough, I know we're tired, I know there's going to be issues of the foot marks, I know it's going to be a tough run chase but find a way. Everyone and individually as a team we've got to find a way and we'll win this Test match. Credit to the boys, they certainly found a way."

Australia are building a team to be reckoned with under Clarke, and he had little hesitation declaring the Bridgetown result the equal of any he had enjoyed. It was as much a victory over the conditions and late season lethargy as the opposition, a West Indies team that is gathering discipline, skill and experience but is still learning how to fight out the critical phases of a Test.

"A just reward for hanging in, the team showing true character and fight and not giving up," Clarke said. "I think whatever happened this afternoon, whether we won the game, drew the game or lost the game, I think we certainly showed a lot of fight, a lot of character. We tried to win the Test.

"We did everything we could to try and win the Test match and it's very, very rewarding now sitting in the change rooms with that bunch of boys that we got the result we were after…after a lot of hard work, a couple of days with, I guess, our backs to the wall. But to be able to fight and get a result like that, that's as special a win as I've had in my career.

"This is as good as I've had, no doubt, because we had our backs to the wall for the first three days of the game. And the spirit and the character, I guess of the guys in the change room is what drives you, I guess, as a captain to make a bold decision, to declare when I declared. The confidence around me from everybody in that group, there wasn't one bit of fear of losing that Test match, it wasn't spoken about.

"From day one of the Test all that's been spoken about is what we have to do to win this Test match. And a lot of time it's easier said than done, especially when a team gets 450 on the board in the first two days, you get some time taken out of the game with the light, so full credit to every single player and support staff person in that change room."

The Australian team is beginning to bear the stamp of Clarke - relentlessly positive, adventurous, tactically agile and skillful. He said the team was learning more about how to best operate under pressure, meaning the lapses that occurred in Cape Town against South Africa and Hobart against New Zealand are now growing less likely to occur. It is also benefiting from the balance between the brash youth of David Warner, and the poise of older heads like Michael Hussey, so calm in the chase as he had been in Adelaide six years ago.

"I think we are just learning more and more about each other every day, especially under pressure," Clarke said. "We're working out what guys require to perform their best under pressure. We're seeing guys stand up when they get an opportunity to play Test cricket. We're seeing some old hands and some old legs still pulling tricks out of the bag to help us win games and Huss is a great example of that.

"We're putting in really good team performances. You're not going to be successful individually every single time you walk out to bat or walk out to bowl. But I think the team we have at the moment, the players we have around the group at the moment aren't bothered about themselves. They care most about the team winning and doing whatever they can to contribute to success. In my mind, there's no coincidence the team's doing well because we're all putting the team first."

West Indies v Australia, 1st Test, Bridgetown, Day4,Cricinfo

West Indies 449 for 9 dec and 71 for 5 (Hilfenhaus 3-17) lead Australia 406 for 9 dec (Clarke 73, Harris 68*, Roach 3-72) by 114 runs

How quickly this game can change. West Indies started the fourth day searching for a way to turn their dominance into a victory. They ended it hoping to avoid defeat. In between, Ryan Harris led an outstanding tail-end fightback from Australia that allowed Michael Clarke to make a bold declaration from behind, a decision that was justified when Ben Hilfenhaus scythed through the top three West Indies batsmen in the first five overs of their second innings.

As tea approached, it was hard to tell who was wobblier, the West Indies batsmen or the rummies in Kensington Oval's Party Stand. At least the spectators had an excuse for their lack of stability. Clarke's declaration gave West Indies half an hour to bat before the break and when it arrived they were 4 for 3. Australia's last three pairs had just added 156 runs between them. It was about as disastrous a period as West Indies could have endured.

In a few crazy hours, all the hard work the hosts had done over the first three days evaporated. By stumps, they had steadied a little, but only a little, and they finished the day at 71 for 5, with Narsingh Deonarine on 20 and Carlton Baugh on 2. It meant West Indies held a slim lead of 114 runs and with only five wickets in hand, they still needed a solid batting performance on the fifth morning to prevent the Australians chasing a small target.

The pitch had started to show some variable bounce but after the way their tail-enders batted, Australia would fancy their chances of chasing a target of around 200. For West Indies, much rested on the shoulders of Deonarine, a man with a point to prove after he was told by the coach Ottis Gibson he was on probation having been recalled to the side for the first time in nearly two years.

Smart stats Ryan Harris' 68 is the highest score by an Australian No.9 batsman against West Indies and the third-highest at the position for Australia since 1990 after Mitchell Johnson's 96 and Damien Fleming's 71. Nathan Lyon's 40 is sixth on the list of top scores by Australian No.11 batsmen. There have been only three half-centuries scored by Australian No.11 batsmen with Glenn McGrath's 61 the highest. The 77-run stand between Harris and Lyon is the second-highest tenth-wicket stand for Australia against West Indies. The highest is the 97-run stand between Rodney Hogg and Tom Hogan in Guyana in 1984. The partnership aggregate for the last two wickets (121) is the fourth-highest for Australia in Tests against West Indies and their highest in West Indies. West Indies lost their first three wickets for just four runs. The score at the fall of the third wicket (4) is the second-lowest for West Indies against Australia. The previous lowest (3) came in Brisbane in 1992. Australia declared their first innings with a deficit of 43 runs. It is only the second time since their 169-run loss in Perth in 1988 that Australia have declared behind West Indies.

Deonarine had helped West Indies recover with a 50-run stand that ended shortly before stumps when Darren Bravo (32) edged behind off Peter Siddle. It was just the breakthrough the Australians wanted after Hilfenhaus ripped through the top order and Harris nicked out Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had clung on like a barnacle in the first innings but managed only 12 in the second.

West Indies were 17 for 4 when Chanderpaul was done by a good ball that moved away fractionally off the seam. Hilfenhaus had also found just enough movement to trouble Adrian Barath, who was the first to fall when he was bowled by a ball that shaped to swing away and then straightened back between bat and pad.

Two balls later, Kraigg Brathwaite feathered behind playing an uncharacteristically aggressive stroke and his edge was so thin that the umpire Ian Gould did not appear likely to give him out, but the batsman walked. In his next over, Hilfenhaus trapped Kirk Edwards lbw and a review of Gould's decision could not save the batsman, and Clarke's decision to declare 43 runs in arrears was looking inspired.

The Australian lower order had provided major frustrations for West Indies, especially Harris, who finished unbeaten on 68, and the No.11 Nathan Lyon, who remained not out on 40. They had put on 77 for the final wicket and could have batted on further, but Clarke wasn't convinced a draw was the best outcome Australia could manage.

Australia added 40 runs after lunch and the innings was nearly brought to an end with the score at 391 when Harris was given out lbw to Fidel Edwards for 66. But with a review up his sleeve, Harris asked for the third umpire to check Gould's on-field decision and the replay showed the ball would have sailed over the top of the stumps.

There were precious few other opportunities for West Indies as their heads bowed and shoulders slumped during the final partnership, the second-highest tenth-wicket stand ever by an Australian pair against West Indies. Things had started perfectly for West Indies as they took the new ball in the first over of the day and quickly had Michael Hussey back in the dressing room having added only one to his overnight score.

Hussey pushed forward at a Kemar Roach delivery that angled across him and his edge was well taken by Carlton Baugh low to his left. Siddle followed for 0 when he ducked a shortish delivery from Fidel Edwards and gloved a catch to gully, and Australia were 250 for 7. Matthew Wade and Harris added 35 for the eighth wicket and both men played some promising shots but Wade's patience eventually deserted him and he drove expansively at Edwards and edged to slip for 28 from 97 deliveries.

Hilfenhaus provided some entertainment with five boundaries in his 24, an innings that ended when he tried to whack Roach over midwicket and lost his middle stump. But it wasn't the end for the Australian lower order as Harris and Lyon's partnership reached 37 at lunch, both men having played some impressive strokes and they were particularly good at driving when the bowlers overpitched.

Harris struck seven boundaries and brought up his half-century from his 76th ball with a clip through midwicket, and his determination was evident in his celebration as he gritted his teeth and settled in for some more batting. Lyon also played some strong drives and brought up his highest first-class score.

Clarke denied him the chance of scoring a half-century, but it was the furthest thing from the captain's mind as he sought a way to win the match. By stumps, victory had become a much more realistic proposition.

West Indies v Australia, 1st Test, Bridgetown, Day3,Cricinfo

Australia 248 for 5 (Clarke 73, Hussey 47*) trail West Indies 449 for 9 dec by 201 runs

West Indies remained firmly on top after three days of attritional cricket in Barbados, where Darren Sammy's early strikes and Devendra Bishoo's variations kept Australia's batsmen from making significant progress. At stumps on day three Australia were 248 for 5, with Michael Hussey on 47 and Matthew Wade on 19, and while they had almost passed the follow-on mark they were not yet safe in the match.

The big challenge for West Indies remained finding a way to turn their impressive performance into a victory. Rain again played a part on the third afternoon and their task for the final two days was to run through Australia's lower order quickly, bat again and set the visitors a target, and then skittle them a second time. The way this match has unfolded so far, that looked like it would be easier said than done.

But through Sammy and his colleagues West Indies had at least put themselves in the much stronger position. Last time the two sides met in a Caribbean Test series, the hosts had several days of inspired cricket but were unable to string together enough in one match to take a victory from Australia. This time they had started with two encouraging days, and worked through the third in the same fashion.

Michael Clarke provided Australia with a fighting half-century but threw his wicket away, while Shane Watson and David Warner also failed to capitalise on solid starts. Watson was also accountable for the ugly run-out of Ricky Ponting, a calamitous confusion that left Ponting fuming as he walked off the field.

The pair had come together after Sammy removed both openers in almost identical fashion, pitching the ball on off stump and nipping it away from the left-handers Warner and Ed Cowan. Cowan was on 14 when his thin edge found the wicketkeeper and Warner had made a promising start and had 42 when he edged to second slip, and Sammy's accuracy and persistence was impressive.

Those strikes were followed by the run-out of Ponting for 4 when Watson turned the ball behind square leg and took a single, and then called for the second, hesitated, and called Ponting through again. The throw from the deep to the wicketkeeper's end found a confused Ponting out of his ground as Watson loitered halfway down the pitch and Ponting's frustration was evident.

Watson was nearly involved in another run-out later when Clarke was saved only by a wayward throw. That, together with poor use of the review system, were the only real blemishes that could be attached to the West Indies fielding effort. Twice Watson survived lbw appeals that could easily have gone against him, once when he offered no shot to a prodigious inswinger from Sammy, who asked for a review and saw the replays show a perilously close prediction that had the ball hitting off stump, but only in the "umpire's call" zone.

In the next over, Kemar Roach appealed for lbw against Watson and also received a not-out verdict. This time Sammy decided against asking for a review but replays showed the ball would have struck enough of leg stump to have the decision overturned. West Indies wasted their second review after lunch when Sammy was off the ground and the vice-captain Kirk Edwards asked for the third umpire to check another Roach lbw appeal that was clearly sliding down leg.

But those errors of judgment didn't prove too costly. Watson threw his wicket away in the first over after lunch when he flashed impetuously at Roach and was caught behind for 39. It was hardly the innings Australia needed from Watson in his first Test batting at No.3. Clarke and Michael Hussey led a fightback with an 82-run partnership and they had to work hard against Bishoo, whose variations kept them from scoring freely.

Clarke used his feet against the legspinner and lofted him straight down the ground for six, but otherwise the Australians typically waited for poor balls from Bishoo and did the best they could to keep the good ones out. Clarke brought up his half-century from his 121st delivery with a fine cover-driven boundary from the part-time offspin of Narsingh Deonarine, and he was fortunate to have got there after a contentious review when he was on 27.

Clarke was adjudged caught behind off a Bishoo ball that stayed low and he immediately challenged the out decision from the umpire Tony Hill. Replays did not clearly show that he hit the ball but nor did there seem to be overwhelming evidence to overturn the call, but that was what happened and it was a serious let-off for Clarke.

Eventually, Bishoo had his reward when Clarke tried to clear long-off but succeeded only in skying a catch, and it was an unwise shot selection at a time when Clarke and Hussey needed to continue building their partnership. Hussey was more watchful and by stumps was approaching a half-century, and Wade struggled against Bishoo with a packed close-in field, but he was good enough to put away the bad balls when they came.

Bishoo's challenge on the fourth day will be to run through the tail, although with the new ball due Sammy will first turn to his fast men to do that job. And if they can manage it, victory will be a possibility, although a draw remains the more likely outcome.

Sri Lanka v England, 1st Test, Galle, Day2

Sri Lanka 318 (Jayawardene 180, Anderson 5-72) and 84 for 5 (Swann 4-28) lead England 193 (Bell 52, Herath 6-74) by 209 runs

Rangana Herath exposed England's failings against spin bowling once more as Sri Lanka took a firm grip on the first Test in Galle. Seventeen wickets fell in the day as the batsmen of both sides struggled to play the turning ball and set up the prospect of a three-day finish.

The match is not over. England's bowlers - excellent as ever - fought back with five wickets in the evening session but a first innings deficit of 125 should prove decisive on a surface that is expected to deteriorate. Sri Lanka had stretched that lead to 209 by the close despite a four-wicket haul from Graeme Swann. But, bearing in mind England were dismissed for under 200 four times in the UAE and they have never made more than 253 at Galle, it becomes apparent that Sri Lanka have established an overwhelmingly dominant position.

England's old troubles against spin came back to haunt them once again as they were bowled out for 193. Rangana Herath, a tidy left-arm spinner, tore through the tourists' top order with six for 74, while off-spinner Suraj Randiv claimed two for 26. It meant Sri Lanka's spinners had claimed eight for 100 between them and had earned their side a first innings lead of 125. While England avoided the ignominy of following-on - a distinct possibly when they were 92 for 6 - they still have a mountain to climb if they are to avoid their fourth successive Test defeat. On a pitch that is expected to deteriorate, conceding a first innings lead of such magnitude should prove decisive.

While in the UAE England came up against a top spinner with a bag full of tricks, here there were no such excuses. Herath is a worthy cricketer, certainly, but he offers none of the mystery of Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal. Herath gained little turn, bowled at a gentle pace with modest variations and received only grudging assistance from the surface. For much of the time it was, to borrow an expression from the political world, like being savaged by a dead sheep.

Yet it still proved too much for England. Perhaps mentally disturbed by their experiences in the UAE, several batsmen missed straight balls or played back when they should have been forward.

There were exceptions. Ian Bell, the one specialist batsman to offer any meaningful resistance, was bowled by a beauty that drew him forward, turned and clipped the top of off stump.

But generally, England will reflect that they surrendered their wickets rather too cheaply. Andrew Strauss missed a sweep to a non-turning half-volley, Jonathan Trott came down the pitch and missed with a horrible swipe across the line and Matt Prior, squared up and back when he should have been forward, gave the ball time to turn and trap him on the back leg.

Samit Patel's maiden Test innings ended when he, again back when he should have been forward, missed an arm ball and Stuart Broad's counterattack was ended when he missed another sweep. The sight of Trott, flat on his back with his wicket broken after he came off second best in a clash with Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper, Prasanna Jayawardene, as he struggled to regain his ground summed up the balance of power.

Herath was well supported by Sri Lanka's seamers, too. Alastair Cook was trapped on the crease by a fine delivery that nipped back from Suranga Lakmal, while Kevin Pietersen played-on off the inside edge as he tried to push at a good length ball from Chanaka Welegedara, bowling around the wicket.

Bell, at least, offered a glimpse of hope for England. Adopting a positive approach, he timed the ball beautifully and had the confidence to hit over the top when the opportunity allowed. He contributed more runs in this innings than he had in the whole Test tour of the UAE.

He enjoyed one moment of fortune. Sweeping the off-spin of Suraj Randiv on 41, he hit the ball hard but straight at the short-leg fielder who deflected it back to the wicketkeeper; Bell survived as the ball had hit the fielder's protective helmet.

England's tailenders also put the pitch - and the bowling - in perspective. Broad thumped 28 out of a seventh-wicket stand of 30, launching into a series of pulls, cuts and drives off Lakmal, while James Anderson, Graeme Swann and even Monty Panesar also put the efforts of the top order to shame. The ease with which Anderson drove, swept and even reverse swept boundaries spoke volumes not just for his improvement as a batsmen but the failure of his top-order colleagues to take advantage of a blameless pitch and a worthy but hardly fearsome attack.

Earlier Anderson claimed his first five-wicket haul in a Test in Asian conditions as England dismissed Sri Lanka for 318 early on the second day. It took only 6.3 overs for England to claim the two wickets they required to finish off the Sri Lankan innings. Anderson claimed them both, producing a well disguised off-cutter that crept through the sizeable gap between Chanaka Welegedara's bat and pad before Mahela Jayawardene's superb effort was ended by a fine delivery in the channel outside off stump that held its line and took the edge of the bat. Anderson finished with 5 for 72; the 12th five-wicket haul of his Test career and his third outside England.

Rain has final say in compelling Test

South Africa 238 (Amla 62, Smith 53, Martin 4-56) and 435 for 5 dec (Smith 115, Kallis 113, Rudolph 105*) drew with New Zealand 273 (McCullum 48, Philander 4-72) and 137 for 2 (McCullum 58*, Taylor 48*) 

The final day of the first Test promised to be an intriguing one, with South Africa needing eight wickets to win and New Zealand 264 runs, but 14 hours of incessant rain in Dunedin made play impossible and the match was called a draw just after 2pm.

Brendon McCullum was unbeaten on 58, having had an 84-run partnership with Ross Taylor, that put New Zealand in the hunt for a series lead. Graeme Smith was named Man of the match for his 115 in the second innings.

The teams now head to Hamilton for the second Test of the three-match series, which begins on Thursday.

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin, Day 4,cricinfo

New Zealand 273 and 137 for 2 (Taylor 48*, McCullum 58*) need a further 264 to beat South Africa 435 for 5 (Rudolph 105*, Boucher 34*) and 238

An unbeaten 82-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor set up a tantalising final day in Dunedin, in which all four results remain possible. South Africa need eight wickets to take the series lead, while New Zealand require another 264 runs to complete their highest successful fourth-innings chase. Rain forecast for tomorrow however, may prevent a result.

McCullum and Taylor were positive through their association, especially harsh on width outside the off stump from South Africa's fast bowlers. A mid-session flurry in the evening even produced 40 runs from 31 deliveries, as the pair smacked five fours and a six, making it clear New Zealand were not simply chasing a draw. Although the pitch had become considerably slower and lower over the past two days, a lack of marked increase in turn for Imran Tahir will bolster hopes of an unlikely upset. The possibility was not lost on Graeme Smith, who stationed men on the offside fence towards the end of the day.

The two batsmen had put on a promising partnership in the first innings, only to throw their wickets away when New Zealand seemed headed for a significant first innings lead. But on the fourth evening, false shots were rare. Jacques Kallis had Ross Taylor slashing at one too close to his body, late in the day, but apart from that solitary misjudgment, only the truly loose deliveries were attacked. A languid cover drive by Taylor relied more on timing than his characteristic power to reach the fence, while McCullum's innings displayed a keen awareness of the field, which he sought to manipulate. It has not always been the case for him, even at times during this tour. He was unbeaten on 58, when the umpires called it a day, due to bad light, with Taylor two short of his fifty.

The chase was set up by Jacques Rudolph, who became South Africa's third centurion in their second innings, with an unbeaten 105, embellishing an impressive record in New Zealand, where he now boasts an average of 98.6. South Africa had moved slowly in the first session of the day, largely unwilling to take risks to spur an ambling run rate, but alongside Mark Boucher, Rudolph quickened the tempo after lunch, and South Africa declared with a lead of 400 midway through the afternoon session. He had taken 140 deliveries for his 59 at the end of the first session, but needed only 35 more to move to triple figures, shortly before Smith motioned the innings closed.

Eighty-nine overs in the field on day three had seemingly sapped the New Zealand attack, as their opening forays on day four lacked pace and penetration, while South Africa progressed slowly to a hefty lead. Chris Martin was negotiated without fuss by South Africa's overnight pair - much as he had been throughout several toothless spells the previous afternoon - and though Doug Bracewell coaxed modest nip from a placid surface, his first spell found chiefly the middle of Kallis' blade, when the batsman resumed an unhurried innings on 107.

Smart stats For the 15th time overall in Tests and the first time against New Zealand, three South African batsmen scored centuries in an innings. The last time this happened was in the third Test win against Sri Lanka in CapeTown. Jacques Rudolph scored his sixth Test century and his second against New Zealand. On the previous occasion he scored a century against New Zealand, South Africa lost the match by wickets. It is his first Test century since the 102 against Australia in Perth in 2005. South Africa's total of 435 is their highest second-innings score in Tests against New Zealand. On the previous occasion when they made over 400 in the third innings (Johannesburg in 2007), they went on to win by 358 runs. If New Zealand are to win the Test, they will become only the fifth team to chase over 400 in the fourth innings. West Indies hold the record for chasing the highest target (418) in Tests. The highest target chased by New Zealand is 324 against Pakistan in 1994. The 82-run stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum is the fourth-highest third-wicket stand for New Zealand against South Africa and is presently their third-highest stand for the third wicket in the fourth innings.

Trent Boult drew the unenviable task of bowling into a strong, chilling wind, but it turned out a blessing when Kallis misjudged the pace of the third ball in Boult's first over. Expecting the ball to arrive much quicker, Kallis was through a clip off the pads, and ended up scooping it in the air to Rob Nicol at midwicket.

Despite that early breakthrough, New Zealand were unable to build pressure as South Africa ambled on comfortably via risk-averse accumulation. The run-rate rarely stirred above three an over, and when AB de Villiers sought to raise it, he found McCullum at deep midwicket with his first truly expansive stroke.

The declaration prior to tea gave South Africa enough time to prise the first New Zealand wicket before the break, when Martin Guptill fell prey to Vernon Philander, who induced bounce and slight movement off the seam to take Guptill's edge on 6.

Dale Steyn was down on pace throughout his spells in the second innings, perhaps hampered by a swollen big toe on his landing foot. Morne Morkel threatened with the new ball, hitting Nicol on the shoulder and the wrist in his first spell, but had his natural bounce hamstrung by an aging pitch playing lower as the match wore on.

Tahir could not generate the turn he might have hoped for, but was handed a wicket nonetheless - off the worst ball he bowled in the innings. Nicol's surrender was perhaps the most mindless dismissal of the summer, when he slapped a knee-high full toss to Smith at mid-on. The batsman cringed regretfully almost as soon as he played the stroke, but South Africa were gleeful at the bonus - Tahir barely able to believe his luck, or the folly of a batsman who had scraped through another testing new-ball period from the seamers.

McCullum's fluency was immediate though, as he hit boundaries from each of the first two overs he faced. New Zealand will rest their hopes with him and Taylor, when the pair resume tomorrow, if the weather allows it.

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin, Day 3

South Africa 268 for 3 (Smith 115, Kallis 107*, Rudolph 13*) and 238 lead New Zealand 273 (McCullum 48, Vettori 46, Philander 4-72) by 233 runs

A 200-run stand and hundreds to South Africa's two most experienced hands put the visitors in command in Dunedin, after New Zealand had begun the day strongly with bat and ball. South Africa held a 233-run lead at stumps, with seven wickets in hand and Jacques Kallis at the crease on 107.

Kallis completed his 42nd Test hundred late in the day, moving clear of Ricky Ponting to become the second most prolific century-maker of all time, after having defused early pressure from New Zealand, who had taken two wickets in an over when he came to the crease. His partnership with Graeme Smith was the first century-stand in the match, and the afternoon session the first in which no wickets fell, as New Zealand rifled through several bowling plans in their attempts to scuttle the association.

The slow scoring-rate, borne out of a tiring pitch and defensive tactics from the hosts meant South Africa could not yet make the game safe. But in a match in which neither side scored 300 in the first innings, Smith and Kallis sapped the spirit from the New Zealand attack as the day wore, and set their side on course for a massive second-innings total.

Kallis collected most of his runs square to begin with, betraying the slowness of the pitch, but added the straighter strokes from his repertoire towards the evening. Smith, meanwhile, was comfortable working the ball to his favoured leg side, but was forced to be more reticent than usual, as the hosts' seamers bowled wide outside off stump to him, with several catchers behind the stumps awaiting a loose stroke. Both men were happy to wait for the poor deliveries, and in contrast to Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum on the previous day, were satisfied to accumulate steadily, instead of searching for bursts of quick runs.

Doug Bracewell took all three wickets, and was the most threatening bowler throughout the day. He extracted movement through the air and off the pitch in his first spell, nailing Hashim Amla for nought with a super outswinger, albeit one that pitched well wide of off stump. His spell with the second new ball was no less impressive towards the close of play, creating two strong lbw appeals as well as bowling Smith with one that nipped off the seam to take a deflection off the inside edge.

Smart stats Graeme Smith's century is his second against New Zealand and his 22nd as captain. It is his second century in six Tests after the second-innings hundred in the win against Australia in Cape Town. Jacques Kallis scored his 42nd Test century and moved past Ricky Ponting's tally of 41 hundreds. Only Sachin Tendulkar with 51 Test centuries is above Kallis on the list of batsmen with most centuries. With his sixth century against New Zealand, Kallis moves to joint-second with Rahul Dravid on the list of batsmen with the most centuries against New Zealand. Only Javed Miandad, with seven centuries, is above Kallis. The 200-run stand between Smith and Kallis is the third-highest third-wicket stand for South Africa in Tests against New Zealand. Kallis and Hashim Amla have been involved in the two higher stands. The 200-run stand between Kallis and Smith is South Africa's 18th double-century stand since the beginning of 2007. In the same period, no other team has been involved in more double-century partnerships. New Zealand have chased more than 234 (the present target) on only three previous occasions and only once against major Test opponents (excluding Bangladesh) since 1990. On the other hand, South Africa have lost eight times (five to Australia) since their readmission when they have set a target of 234 or more.

In between the two new-ball spells though, New Zealand looked alarmingly toothless. Chris Martin, the prime destroyer in South Africa's first innings, could barely beat an edge in his 17 overs that were notable for their lack of movement. Tim Southee tried several plans of attack, to various fields, first trying to take the ball away from Kallis with a stacked slip cordon, before coming back with an aging ball to rattle him with reverse-swing. Neither ploy flustered the batsmen, who were glad for straight, full deliveries from Southee, having had plenty to watch through to the keeper from others who bowled wide.

Daniel Vettori looked New Zealand's best chance of prising a scalp through the third-wicket stand, but despite turn, flight and three close catchers to Smith, he could force neither an edge nor a false shot. One hopeful shout for lbw was shown to be missing off stump, and though he proved more difficult to score off than the seamers - he did not pose a trial either.

New Zealand created chances in the overs following tea, but twice Martin Guptill was too deep to snaffle thick edges - one each from Kallis and Smith - and two more times run-out opportunities requiring direct hits were missed. New Zealand stuck to the wide line outside off stump to Smith, hoping to draw a rash stroke, and he almost succumbed in the 90s, when the scoring rate roused his frustration. Occasionally he flashed and missed, reminding himself to rein in the cover drive. But as a tight offside in-field constricted him further, he couldn't help but reach, even moving across the stumps to toe-end a ball from Tim Southee that barely landed on the strip.

He batted out six tense dot balls from Vettori on 99, but Smith eventually reached triple-figures - a good omen for the visitors who have never lost on the previous 23 occasions Smith made hundred. But just as his scoring trended north, Kallis slowed dramatically at the other end, having parked himself on 90. After 24 dot balls there, he began to move again, taking five more overs to reach triple-figures.

Jacques Rudolph was sent in ahead of AB de Villiers and survived an lbw appeal off Bracewell that was overturned in his favour upon review. South Africa will press for a definitive advantage tomorrow, with plenty of batting still to come.

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin, 2nd day

New Zealand 243 for 9 (McCullum 48, Vettori 46, Taylor 44, Philander 4-50) lead South Africa 238 (Amla 62, Smith 53, Rudolph 52, Martin 4-56) by five runs

A gripping second day of Test cricket at the University Oval in Dunedin left precious little separating the teams, with New Zealand five runs ahead of South Africa's 238, with a wicket in hand. New Zealand's top order battled swing bowling of the highest quality before lunch and aggressive short pitched pace after it, but could not definitively wrest the advantage, as South Africa prised wickets at regular intervals.

No New Zealand batsman crossed fifty, though Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori all came close, with 40s to their name. Taylor and McCullum had survived a brutal encounter with Morne Morkel after lunch, but could not apply themselves long enough to consolidate, while Vettori fell to a brilliant low take from Jacques Kallis on his follow through.

Vernon Philander rarely strayed a few inches from off stump in his first spell of the day, and was rewarded with the wicket of Rob Nicol, who had struggled on debut. Philander finished the day with 4 for 50 - another performance that will embellish a growing reputation as one of the most exciting seam-bowling finds in recent memory. Morkel finished with two, having peppered McCullum and Taylor with as hostile a spell they are ever likely to encounter, while Steyn will feel he bowled better than 1 for 71 suggests.

Martin Guptill and McCullum may have thought they'd blunted the worst of South Africa's assault in the hour before lunch, but the interrogation continued well into the afternoon session, as Morkel unleashed a ferocious spell once movement began to dwindle for his team-mates. The slower Dunedin track had hampered Morkel prior to lunch, but a return to the crease with renewed vigour yielded immediate results, as Guptill was late on a defensive stroke, and tested the mettle of New Zealand's most experienced batting pair.

A smattering of welts on Taylor's arms, chest and shoulders will let him know he has been in a fight. He wore several in his first exchange with Morkel - two on the fingers, one on the ribs and two more glancing blows just below the helmet grille. Edges deflected off the body, landed short of the slips or flew just wide. Though New Zealand had done well to lose only one wicket to an artful hour of swing and seam bowling in the first session, they were now examined gruffly with the next weapon in South Africa's armoury.

Though clearly intimidated, Taylor and McCullum refused to be shaken. While Morkel was often unplayable, the runs started to tick at the other end when Philander's impeccable line began to waiver. Movement from earlier in the day had all but disappeared, and the drives down the ground that had grown more profitable became New Zealand's favoured currency.

But as has been the case so many times in their careers McCullum and Taylor's belligerence proved to be their downfall. Having battled through two terrific spells from one of the world's finest attacks, they aggressed too early, and too mindlessly, just as consolidation beckoned. Their 65-run association was broken when McCullum attempted to sweep Imran Tahir hard against the turn, serving up a high top edge, before Taylor chased a wide one and was caught behind. He'd already hit two fours in the over.

Vettori mounted a familiar recovery alongside Kruger van Wyk, working the South Africa attack square of the wicket with so little fuss his team-mates' innings seemed grating by comparison. Sweetly struck boundaries to the cover point fence and the swivel pull shot to the leg side were as productive as ever, pushing Graeme Smith to deploy four men on the fence - the most defensive field across both days of the Test.

Debutant van Wyk meanwhile was steady and organised. South Africa's pacemen towered over him, and Morkel gave him the perfunctory working over - but if van Wyk was intimidated, there were few signs. The back foot defence gave was his favoured reply to the seamers, but he was equally adept against spin - picking Tahir better than most in the order, and even tickling him fine with the occasional paddle sweep.

Vettori was eventually undone by indecision, as he was cruising towards a fifty that would have been New Zealand's first of the innings, when Jacques Kallis dived low on his follow through to snaffle a half-hearted bunt. Doug Bracewell then joined the resistance - showing the kind of batting prowess that has earned him three first class fifties, but hasn't yet been evident at the top level. He put on 41 alongside van Wyk, ensuring first his defence was in order before attempting the more expansive strokes - five of which brought him a boundary, as New Zealand edged towards the first-innings lead.

van Wyk and Tim Southee fell in quick succession to the second new ball, as Philander embellished an already-menacing career average. But Bracewell was good enough to edge his side ahead, before losing his off stump to Steyn.

The first session lacked the drama of the two to follow, but Steyn's new-ball partnership with Philander was unlucky to have only gleaned one reward. In bright sunshine, Steyn found the movement in the air that had eluded New Zealand's bowlers under cloud cover the previous day, after South Africa's tail added 47 to the overnight score before being finished off.

Steyn beat both opener's edge repeatedly and emphatically, with Philander doing the same at the other end - he did it with his pinpoint line and movement off the seam. McCullum and Guptill were forced to call on every sinew of expertise to ensure survival, and they hobbled to lunch, at 40 for 1, only to be bombarded by Morkel when play resumed.

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin, 1st day,Cricinfo

South Africa 191 for 7 (Amla 62, Smith 53, Martin 3-34) v New Zealand

A Chris Martin triple-strike just after tea justified Ross Taylor's decision to bowl first on a placid Dunedin surface, as New Zealand first toppled South Africa's top order giants, then made headway into the tail, to leave the visitors on 191 for 7 at stumps on the first day. Heavy clouds failed to deliver the swing Taylor had banked on, but Martin's stunning spell against his favourite opponent among the top-eight nations, turned the innings, and drew first blood in the series.

The drama of Martin's surge was heightened by its abruptness. Following a sleepy first session that offered so little for the pacemen that South Africa seemed destined for a mammoth total, Martin snaffled Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers in four balls to tear the guts out of the opposition top order.

The rush of intensity was immediately apparent in Martin's first few balls after tea. Twice he beat Smith's outside edge, before hitting the batsman on the midriff with a straighter one. Having finished the previous session somewhat deflated, New Zealand suddenly sensed change. When Smith scooped the next one to short cover, they were positively buzzing.

The first ball of Martin's next over was sharp, short and angled. Too good for Kallis who could only manage an edge, which Taylor flew to his left to intercept. AB de Villiers was trapped by an indipper first ball. His review interrupted New Zealand's celebrations momentarily, before replays confirmed the shout was as plumb as they come. From a comfortable 86 for 1, South Africa had slipped to 90 for 4.

The recovery from South Africa, though somewhat short-lived, was swift and pleasing to the eye. Hashim Amla unfurled the offside strokes that bore him fruit in the ODI series, as he nullified a reinvigorated New Zealand pace attack that were once again searching for scalps. Purring cover drives and crisp square cuts found the ropes, and in 80 balls, he and Jacques Rudolph had scored 66.

But having crossed 50, Amla fell to his nemesis from earlier in the innings. His tussle with Daniel Vettori had been the most engrossing battle of the earlier session, when the spinner's turn beat his outside edge in his attempts to defend, and Vettori's flight outdid enterprising scurries down the pitch. That time, the release had come for Amla when he finally connected to launch Vettori into the stands. But in his first over after tea, Vettori landed the knockout punch when he got one to kick, taking Amla's edge.

Mark Boucher was then the victim of the run-out South Africa looked like offering thoughout the day. Smith and Amla had survived one chance each, when fielders failed to hit the stumps. But this time, no direct hit was necessary. Boucher bounded from the non-striker's end when Rudolph worked Vettori to point, and Bracewell swooped and found Kruger van Wyk's gloves with his throw, to leave the visitors at 161 for 6. Dale Steyn succumbed soon after, with Taylor snaffling a rebound from Martin Guptill in the slips to leave his side much the happier of the two at stumps.

The day had begun so promisingly for South Africa after almost four hours were lost to rain, when Graeme Smith progressed untroubled to a 31st Test half-century. New Zealand's decision to insert the opposition on a slow, batsmen's track seemed like folly when hopeful, full lengths from Martin, Trent Boult and Tim Southee were punched through the line by Smith in particular.

Misjudgment on line, rather than significant movement removed Alviro Petersen for 11, but with Amla and Smith progressing smoothly, and the cloud cover expected to clear for the evening session, a large total beckoned. Smith was punishing on the leg side, when New Zealand's pacemen abandoned their hopes for swing and muscled it in short, and his flick off middle stump for four just prior to tea epitomised his command of conditions. But things were about to change, and quickly.