New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Wellington, Day3,Cricinfo

Tea South Africa 437 for 7 (Boucher 30*, Philander 18*) v New Zealand  

A string of wickets in the second session lifted New Zealand from the dire to merely the desperate, but South Africa remained well ahead in the Test, moving to 437 for 7. Chris Martin and Mark Gillespie took two wickets each, clawing through South Africa's middle order in the first period in the match the hosts can claim to have won, but the wickets were still too few and the score already too large to give New Zealand anything more than a thin chance of levelling the series.

Movement off the pitch had largely evaded New Zealand throughout the innings, but a reinvigorated attack led by Martin used the seam to reap their most fruitful session of the Test. Alviro Petersen had scarcely played a false stroke in the first session, but was trapped in front by a Martin indipper in the first over of the second. AB de Villiers then fell to a similar ball four overs later, inside edging onto his middle stump.

Gillespie also found immediate reward for movement, removing Jacques Rudolph for 11 with another one that wobbled off the seam. Rudolph, who had tweeted his disapproval of the Wellington weather the previous evening, can hardly have improved his opinion of the place after a failure with the bat.

Dale Steyn preceded Vernon Philander to the crease, but was soon sent back, again by Gillespie, who surprised him with a foot of extra bounce. For the first time in the match, New Zealand had prevented opposition partnerships from taking root, and having toiled for 3 wickets while South Africa amassed 362, the hosts had suddenly taken 4 for 42.

Philander partnered Mark Boucher astutely, exercising caution and opportunism in equal parts - much as the top order had done previously, and the pair put on an unbeaten 33 without offering a chance.

Earlier, hundreds from Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy had consolidated South Africa's dominance, and taken them to a near unassailable position. Petersen had been perched on 96 overnight, and although New Zealand had the new ball with which to eke a nervous stroke, Petersen moved to triple figures as smoothly as he had navigated the wind and the rain on day two. A cover drive off Chris Martin's fourth ball reaped the first two runs of the day, before a rasping cut brought his third Test ton, confirming his place in the batting order after four muddling performances on tour had put it in jeopardy.

His approach changed little following the milestone as he stuck methodically to the scoring strokes that had carried him to his first success in New Zealand. Drives straight and through cover were measured out when the hosts went looking for swing, and the pull again proved productive, particularly off Daniel Vettori, who had bowled a touch short throughout the Test.

JP Duminy moved deep into the nineties with three consecutive cover drives, handsomely struck off Doug Bracewell, but was made to wait 18 balls to move from 98 to 100. He did not allow his anxiety to turn into rashness, though. A clip off the pads brought him his century - the second in his career after the match-winning 166 at the MCG in 2008. The pair had put on 200 for the third wicket before Duminy was caught at slip off Gillespie.

New Zealand v South Africa, 3rd Test, Wellington, Day1,Cricinfo

South Africa 136 for 2 (Amla 63, Petersen 44*, Duminy 23*) v New Zealand 

A fluent 63 from Hashim Amla eased South Africa to 136 for 2 at stumps, after a wet outfield in the morning and poor light late in the day only allowed 42 overs to be bowled. Ross Taylor chose to field on a green surface expected to seam, but although Graeme Smith was removed by one that jagged off the pitch, New Zealand struggled to achieve pronounced movement for extended periods, with spinner Daniel Vettori called on to contribute more than a quarter of the hosts' overs. Alviro Petersen played a restrained knock to end the day in sight of his first half-century of the series, while JP Duminy, who replaced an injured Jacques Kallis, was unbeaten on 23.

Amla was gifted a leg-glance to the fine-leg fence to ease him into his innings, but it wasn't long before the offside repertoire was humming happily as well. A back-foot stroke through the covers was more unwound, than punched or played, while two cuts either side of point disappeared to the boundary before the fielder had budged, much less moved, to intercept the shot. He was beaten soundly twice on the inside edge, but didn't allow either ball to dent his positivity, dispatching Dean Brownlie for three commanding boundaries in the same over he went past 50.

But the languid nature of Amla's strokeplay was increasingly matched by the slowness of his movement in the middle - perhaps hampered by a ball he'd edged onto his groin early on - and he perished playing an uncharacteristically flat-footed pull off Mark Gillespie soon after tea.

Alviro Petersen was reserved in comparison, often finding sprightly fielders when he played full-blooded shots, but content to defend nonetheless. He had struggled with the ball that came into him, falling to it thrice in four innings so far in the series, but navigated Chris Martin's inswingers with more poise on this occasion, dabbing it straight against the early movement. He charged Daniel Vettori to loft him over the ropes before leaning back to blast him through square leg as tea approached, but they were rare shows of violence in a dour display.

New Zealand had started well through Martin and Doug Bracewell, but waned in threat as the movement steadily gave out despite their discipline. Gillespie could find neither the direction nor the pace that decimated South Africa's middle order in the first innings in Hamilton, and was lucky to claim Amla with a short, wide ball. That wicket breathed some edge into the New Zealand attack in the nine overs after tea, but Duminy only helped himself to some quick runs into the vacant outfield with the bowlers attacking.

Early in the day's play, New Zealand's first wicket was marred somewhat by controversy. Martin beat Smith's outside edge repeatedly with movement in the air and off the pitch, but it was the other edge that brought the batsman's demise, even though Smith felt he had not made contact. Aleem Dar and New Zealand were convinced ball brushed the willow when Bracewell brought one in past Smith's cover drive, but despite a review from the batsman, and Hot Spot showing nothing, Dar's decision was upheld.