Cape Town - In a remarkable day’s cricket, South Africa piled on the pressure to take a 207-run first innings lead against New Zealand on day one of the first Test in Cape Town on Wednesday.
At stumps, South Africa were 252 for three after the visitors capitulated to 45 all out before lunch.
It was a day of milestones as Jacques Kallis became only the fourth cricketer in the world to score over 13 000 Test runs and Dale Steyn took his 300th Test wicket.
Their magnificent achievements were matched by a superb bowling performance from Vernon Philander (6-3-7-5) who took his eighth five-wicket haul in only his 13th Test.
In reply, South Africa lost the early wicket of Graeme Smith, who fell just before lunch, lbw to Doug Bracewell for one.
Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla went on to share a second-wicket stand of 107 runs before Amla was out plumb lbw to James Franklin.
His 66 runs came off 74 balls and included nine boundaries.
Playing in his 159th Test, Kallis joined Petersen at the crease and it took him 36 balls to score the required 20 runs for his landmark.
He smashed a Doug Bracewell delivery past gully for four to bring the capacity crowd to their feet and reward Kallis with a standing ovation.
He went on to score his 59th half-century, hitting five fours and two sixes, before being caught behind by BJ Watling, off Trent Boult for 60.
Almost overshadowed was Petersen’s fifth Test century which came off 170 balls and included 12 boundaries.
At the close of play he was unbeaten on 103 and AB de Villiers was not out on 19.
Superb bowling by Philander, Morne Morkel and Steyn ensured the Black Caps lasted exactly 100 minutes at the crease.
It was the third lowest total by a team in a first innings after winning the toss and electing to bat and the 12th lowest of all time.
Martin Guptill (1) was the first to go after a faint edge off Philander went into the gloves of AB de Villiers behind the stumps.
Philander’s second wicket was that of captain Brendon McCullum, who played on for seven and, three balls later Dean Brownlie nicked the ball to Smith at first slip without scoring.
With the visitors in trouble at 14 for three, Kane Williamson and Daniel Flynn shared what turned out to be the biggest partnership of the innings – 13 runs – for the fourth wicket before Philander struck again. He had Williamson leg before for 13, despite a desperate call for a review. He was the only New Zealander to reach double figures before the team buckled in 19.2 overs.
South African born BJ Watling was Philander’s fifth scalp, caught behind for a duck.
Putting up the longest resistance, Flynn lasted for 72 minutes until Steyn put paid to his Ä and the team’s Ä knock with a caught-and-bowled for a mere eight runs.
The Phalaborwa Express had already reached his landmark 300 with a perfect ball to remove Bracewell’s (2) middle stump.
Only Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390) and Allan Donald (330) have taken more wickets for the Proteas.
Playing in his 61st Test, Steyn finished with figures of 2/18 while Morne Morkel picked up the three remaining wickets for 14. - Sapa