Centurion, April 18:

Bad light and rain denied South Africa the chance to wrap up victory on day four of the first Test against New Zealand at Centurion Park.

The tourists, set 249 to win, had collapsed to 98-7 when the umpires called a halt for the day.

Pacemen Makhaya Ntini (4-41) and Dale Steyn (3-35) did the damage. But opener Hamish Marshall and Daniel Vettori hung on despite blows to the body to remain unbeaten on 24 and 18.

At the start of the day, Steyn and Ntini added 23 for South Africa’s last wicket before Ntini was finally trapped lbw to spinner Vettori for 16.

But any illusions the Kiwis harboured about a comfortable cruise to victory were soon shattered as Ntini found conditions suited his bowling perfectly.

He gained swing and bounce to have Peter Fulton (4) caught behind and the gamble of pushing Kyle Mills up the order to try and see off the new ball, failed when he was taken at slip for a duck.

Steyn weighed in with the crucial wicket of captain Stephen Fleming (6), who flashed to Jacques Kallis at second slip. Scott Styris followed for two and Ntini hastened the decline by having Nathan Astle caught at slip and then taking out first innings centurion Jacob Oram’s off stump.

New Zealand were 34-6 at lunch, but Brendon McCullum tried to mount a counter-attack after the resumption while Marshall continued to concentrate on survival at the other end after being struck in the chest by Ntini early in his innings.

McCullum hit two sixes and two fours in his 38-ball innings but then played at a leg-cutter from Steyn and Boeta Dippenaar puched the slip catch.

Only seven more overs were possible, during which Daniel Vettori drove Steyn to the extra cover boundary, received a painful blow on the arm when he took his eyes off a short of a length delivery and hooked Shaun Pollock for a six.

SCOREBOARD

SOUTH AFRICA —1st Innings: 276

NEW ZEALAND —1st Innings: 327

S AFRICA —2nd Innings (overnight: 280-9)

D Steyn not out 7

M Ntini lbw b Vettori 16

Extras: 19 (12b, 2lb, 5nb)

Total: 299

FoW: 1-8, 2-19, 3-42, 4-73, 5-140, 6-194, 7-205, 8-270, 9-276

New Zealand bowling: Franklin 14-2-60-2, Martin 24-6-64-1, Mills 21-5-57-1, Oram 17-3-44-2, Vettori 15.1-0-42-2, Astle 5-1-15-1, Styris 2-0-3-1

NEW ZEALAND —2nd Innings

H Marshall not out 24

P Fulton c Boucher b Ntini 4

K Mills c Dippenaar b Ntini 0

S Fleming c Kallis b Steyn 6

S Styris c Boucher b Steyn 2

N Astle c De Villiers b Ntini 2

J Oram b Ntini 2

B McCullum c Dippenaar b Steyn 33

D Vettori not out 18

Extras: 7 (2lb, 5nb)

Total: 98/7

FoW: 1-5, 2-5, 3-17, 4-23, 5-26, 6-28, 7-73

South Africa bowling: Ntini 11-2-41-4, Steyn 14-4-35-3, Pollock 5-1-20-0