MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — Ruan de Swardt dismissed Kane Williamson for his first test wicket as South Africa broke the marathon third-wicket partnership between Williamson and Rachin Ravindra in the first hour Monday on the second day of the first test.
De Swardt had seen Williamson, then on 70, dropped from his bowling on the first day and it would have come as a small relief to see him finally out for 118.
Williamson was caught by Tshepo Moreki at mid-on off a top edge, ending his 232-run stand with Ravindra. Both batters posted centuries on day one: Williamson his 30th and Ravindra his first.
Ravindra carried his overnight score of 118 on to 169 at lunch, becoming the 10th New Zealander to surpass 150 on test debut. Daryl Mitchell was 14 and New Zealand was 330-3 at the break.
The second new ball was only six overs old when play began Monday and South Africa realized how crucial it would be to break the Williamson-Ravindra stand early in the day. The partnership already was worth 219 runs at the start of play and might have increased considerably in excellent batting conditions at Bay Oval.
De Swardt had been the most economical of the South Africa bowlers on the first day and he was given the new ball. South Africa maintained relatively defensive fields, despite the imperative of claiming an early wicket to prevent New Zealand taking a stranglehold on the match.
Williamson resumed at 112 and looked a little uncertain again at the start. He added only six runs in more than 40 minutes before in what might have been an act of frustration he lashed out at de Swardt, miscued and was caught.
Ravindra seemed more likely to go early. He was vulnerable when the right armers bowled over the wicket and slanted the ball across him as he tended to play too far forward at balls passing outside his off stump.
Williamson gave a chance before he had added to his score Monday. He got a thick outside edge to a ball from Dane Paterson which fell just short of the glove of wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin. When he eventually was out he had batted for just over seven hours.
New Zealand again scored slowly in the morning session, adding only 72 runs from 28 overs.
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