HAMILTON: Ruan de Swardt and Shaun von Berg showcased resilience and determination, spearheading a South African fightback with gritty determination on Tuesday. Despite New Zealand’s early dominance in the second Test, South Africa reached 220-6, with de Swardt notching his maiden half-century, remaining unbeaten at 55 by stumps on day one. Von Berg, making his Test debut at 37, contributed 34 runs, forming an unbroken partnership of 70 off 27 overs at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Facing a challenging start after winning the toss, South Africa struggled at 64-3 during lunch and stumbled further to 150-6 in the final session, with David Bedingham’s dismissal adding to their woes. However, de Swardt’s gritty 135-ball innings and von Berg’s mature performance provided a lifeline for the team.
De Swardt, one of the six Proteas debutants in the first Test, demonstrated the art of survival to the specialist batsmen. Von Berg, a seasoned leg-spinner earning his long-awaited international opportunity after featuring in 135 first-class matches, complemented de Swardt’s resilience. “It was quite a tough grind out there,” remarked de Swardt. “The New Zealand bowlers were impressive, but I focused on applying myself mentally and persevering.”
The duo’s partnership thwarted a potential collapse, with Rachin Ravindra’s inspired spell claiming three crucial wickets. Ravindra, who excelled with both bat and ball in the first Test, continued his impressive form by dismissing key South African batsmen, including Zubayr Hamza and Keegan Petersen.
South Africa’s innings suffered a setback right from the start when makeshift opener Clyde Fortuin fell for a duck, caught brilliantly in the gully by Glenn Phillips off Matt Henry. Will O’Rourke, making his debut, added to South Africa’s woes by dismissing captain Neil Brand lbw for 25.
Reflecting on the day’s play, O’Rourke acknowledged the unexpected nature of the pitch, stating, “The wicket was slower than anticipated, but we managed to apply pressure effectively.” South Africa bolstered their spin attack by including von Berg and recalling off-spinner Dane Piedt after four years for his first Test appearance. They made changes to their lineup, replacing opener Edward Moore and seamer Duanne Olivier.
Meanwhile, New Zealand made strategic alterations, with O’Rourke replacing the injured Kyle Jamieson, and veteran seamer Neil Wagner returning in place of spinner Mitchell Santner.
