New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test match between New Zealand and South Africa, taking 258/2 (86 overs) on February 3 – February 7, 2024. The openings from Tom Latham and Will Young fell cheaply, putting New Zealand in early trouble. However, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra continued to score centuries each, adding 219 runs before the close of play, putting New Zealand in a strong position. South Africa will need to take early wickets on Day 2 to make a comeback after a disappointing series against India.
The pitch is expected to be batsman-friendly, with centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra at different stages of their careers. They had put on 219 runs for the unbroken third wicket by the end of the first day, deflating a spirited South Africa line-up that had reduced the hosts to a tricky 39 for 2 in the first session. Tshepo Moreki started his Test career with a first-ball wicket by trapping Devon Conway lbw for 1 in the second over of the game. In his accurate first spell of 5-1-10-1, Moreki beat Williamson three times in 15 balls for just five runs.
Dane Paterson also tested the batters with his seam movement with wobble seam, and he soon drew Tom Latham’s outside edge for 20. Ravindra and Williamson batted patiently through a wicketless second session of 27 overs for just 60 runs, with plenty of leaves and blocks because of the tight bowling from the four South Africa quicks. South Africa were fielding an all-pace bowling attack and six debutants in Mount Maunganui, including their captain Neil Brand. Since 1995, it was the first instance by a Test nation apart from Ireland and Afghanistan who had their captain on debut when the side wasn’t playing its first Test.
The conditions started to get better for batting after the initial swing subsided and once the ball got older. Williamson opened up with imperious boundaries off Moreki in consecutive overs, while Ravindra drove, scythed, and pulled the loose deliveries with hard hands and more punch. Williamson reached his 50 in the next over with a boundary, while Ravindra reached his own in the over after the break. Both scored more freely with boundaries ticking at above four runs an over in the half hour after the tea break.
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