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Australian spinner Nathan Lyon described unbeaten New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra as a budding "superstar" on Saturday but says the tourists are still well placed to win the first Test in Wellington. Ravindra struck an eye-catching 56 not out as the home side reached 111-3 at stumps on day three, having stumbled early in their pursuit of a lofty 369 to win the opening match of the two-Test series.
:New Zealand were 111 for three at the close of play on the third day of the first test against Australia at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Saturday, still 258 runs away from their daunting victory target of 369.
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon described unbeaten New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra as a budding "superstar" on Saturday but says the tourists are still well placed to win the first Test in Wellington. Ravindra struck an eye-catching 56 not out as the home side reached 111-3 at stumps on day three, having stumbled early in their pursuit of a lofty 369 to win the opening match of the two-Test series. Daryl Mitchell was on 12, with the pair having put on 52 in 20.3 overs together to give New Zealand a glimmer of hope in difficult batting conditions.
Recalled South African spinner Dane Piedt claimed five New Zealand wickets on Wednesday to give the understrength tourists a 31-run lead at stumps on the second day of the second Test. New Zealand's batting succumbed to a disciplined attack led by Piedt, in his first Test since 2019, to be all out for 211 in response to South Africa's 242 in Hamilton. A Proteas team with just 40 Test caps between them have opened up the prospect of squaring the two-match series after crashing to a 281-run loss in the first Test at Mount Maunganui.
New Zealand strike bowler Trent Boult was recalled on Wednesday for the T20I series against Australia but the hosts will be without Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell. Boult is in a 14-man squad for the three-match series but only available for the last two games in Auckland, with fellow veteran seamer Tim Southee to play just the opening game, in Wellington on February 21. The 34-year-old Boult has been infrequently selected for international duty since being released from his New Zealand central contract in August 2022, allowing him to play in more domestic T20 leagues.
Trent Boult was named in the New Zealand squad for part of the upcoming Twenty20 series against Australia on Wednesday, indicating that the veteran fast bowler is still in the frame for the World Cup in June.
All-rounders Ruan de Swardt and Shaun von Berg used "hard graft" to lead a South African rearguard on Tuesday as they reached 220-6 after New Zealand had dominated the start of the second Test. De Swardt reached his maiden half-century and was 55 not out at stumps on day one. The 37-year-old Von Berg was 34 on his Test debut, with the pair having put on an unbroken 70 off 27 overs at Seddon Park in Hamilton. South Africa won the toss but were 64-3 at lunch and tottering at 150-6 early in the final session after David Bedingham was dismissed in freakish fashion.
Rachin Ravindra, who was this week named ICC Emerging Player of the Year for his World Cup heroics, was included on Friday in New Zealand's test squad for next month's two-match series against South Africa.