NZ Vs SA: The first Test match between NZ Vs SA has been ended today at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui and as expected the home side, New Zealand has won this match by a comprehensive margin of 281 runs.
This opening encounter ended inside four days and the Kiwis dominated this game from ball one.
New Zealand had put on collective efforts with the bat and ball, which the visitors, South Africa lacked in this entire Test match and that’s why they have ended up on a losing side.
New Zealand was invited to bat by the Proteas after they won the toss. Their bowlers picked up two early wickets as well. However, the visitors couldn’t restrict the home side to a manageable score.
Before the second Test match starts at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday, 13th February 2024, today in this segment, we will jot down the five top performers of the first Test match between NZ Vs SA and in this list of five, only one batter from the Proteas Nation has been included. The other four players are from the winning team of the Kiwis.
The young batter from the Blackcaps side has been impressive in the traditional format as well. Rachin Ravindra is the only double centurion from this red ball game and he also won the man of the match award. Ravindra scored 240 runs in the 1st innings, which allowed the home side to boss this match.
Rachin also shared a vital partnership with Kane Williamson when Devon Conway and Tom Latham were dismissed in quick succession.
His knock kept the Kiwis in the game and apart from Rachin and Williamson no other batter even scored a half century in the 1st innings for New Zealand.
The former Kiwi skipper has led his team from the front in the first Test match. He became the 5th batter from the Kiwi nation to smash twin centuries in a single red ball game.
He scored 118 runs in the 1st innings and followed it up with 109 runs in his second outing for the Blackcaps side.
Williamson was even quicker than the former Aussie great Steve Waugh in reaching to 31 centuries in the red ball format.
Both the knocks of Kane Williamson came at the crucial junctures of the first red ball game, especially when his team needed it the most.
If Williamson hadn’t played those captain’s innings then New Zealand wouldn’t have dominated this whole 1st Test match as they did and won it quite comprehensively in the end.
The Proteas didn’t have a Test match to remember. They failed to perform in all aspects of this gentlemen’s game. But having said that, the knock from David Bedingham in the second innings can be the one which can turn the fortunes for them in the second and the last Test match which will be played in Hamilton.
Bedingham scored 87 runs in the second innings when the Proteas were asked to chase down a daunting target of 528 runs. David was the second highest scorer in the second innings with 32 runs when South Africa was bundled out for just 162 runs in that outing.
However, in the second innings, Bedingham’s 87 runs allowed the Proteas to score 247 runs and this knock can seen as the only positive from the visitors’ point of view.
The fiery pace bowler from the Kiwi side took 7 wickets in this whole Test match. He took 3 wickets for 31 runs in his 1st innings and took a four fer in the second innings.
Kyle Jamieson picked up 4 wickets for 58 runs and never allowed any batter from South Africa to get a big score in this game which New Zealand won.
The spin bowling all-rounder from the Kiwi side also did well with the red cherry in hand. Mitchell Santner picked up 3 scalps and gave away 34 runs in the first innings and in the second innings as well he took 3 wickets for 59 runs. Mitchell took 6 wickets in this entire Test match.