PORT ELIZABETH – Dale Steyn turned in a man-of-the-match performance as South Africa completed a crushing innings and 193 run victory over New Zealand to secure a 2-0 series win on the fourth day of the second Sunfoil Series Test at Axxess St George’s in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
Paceman Steyn captured three for 48 as New Zealand were bowled out for 211 in their second innings, 30 minutes before lunch.
Steyn’s second innings efforts meant that he finished with match figures of eight for 65 as New Zealand succumbed to their second innings defeat to South Africa in as many Tests.
The Black Caps lost the first match of the two-test series by an innings and 27 runs at Sahara Park Newlands inside three days.
New Zealand made a far better fist of their second innings after they were bowled out for just 121 in their first dig.
Dean Brownlie and BJ Watling provided the bulk of New Zealand’s runs thanks to their 97-run fifth wicket partnership. Brownlie brought up his fourth Test fifty but, after making his way to 53, he edged a delivery from seamer Jacques Kallis through to keeper AB de Villiers.
Watling proved to be one of the few positives that the Black Caps could take out of the contest as he recorded his second half-century of the match, off 92 deliveries, before becoming the seventh wicket to fall when he was bowled by a superb delivery from Steyn that pegged back the batsman’s off-stump.
The right-handed Watling was dismissed for 63 off 117 balls with 11 fours and his dismissal came during a lower-order collapse that saw the tourists lose their last six wickets for the addition of just 29 runs.
The advent of the second new ball proved to be New Zealand’s undoing as Steyn and Morne Morkel (2-36) made light work of the Black Caps’ tail.
The new ball pair, making light of the very windy conditions, bowled with pace and aggression to unsettle the tourists.
Colin Munro (15) followed Brownlie back to the pavilion when the left-hander was caught at third slip off a delivery from Morkel.
Watling followed soon afterwards before Steyn had Doug Bracewell (0) caught by a diving Alviro Petersen at third slip while Morkel had Trent Boult (3) caught at point.
Fittingly Steyn wrapped the win and the series up by having Neil Wagner (4) caught by De Villiers after the batsman edged an attempted hook shot to a well-directed short ball.
