Hashim Amla stood defiant for South Africa as New Zealand took three wickets in the opening session of the third Test in Hamilton on Saturday.
At lunch, South Africa were 71 for three with Amla on 38 and Faf du Plessis on six when rain forced the players from the field six minutes early.
The first two wickets were straight forward when du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat, banking on spin late in the Test but knowing the overhead cloud and greenish wicket would make the first hour tough.
Theunis de Bruyn played when he should have left and Dean Elgar was gone for five, leaving when he should have played.
Debutant de Bruyn’s introduction to Test cricket ended with a third-ball duck when he played at a Matt Henry delivery outside off and sent an edge to Tom Latham at second slip.
Elgar was bowled when he shouldered arms to a Colin de Grandhomme ball that came back from outside the off stump.
JP Duminy fell just before lunch for 20, having added 13 runs after being let off when New Zealand decided not to review a rejected lbw appeal, continuing a series-long problem with their use of the decision review system.
With South Africa then two for 28 after nine overs, Neil Wagner came into the attack and his first delivery slammed into Duminy’s pads.
New Zealand accepted the umpire’s not out call, but the ball tracker technology showed it would have been a direct hit.
However, when a Henry lbw appeal against Duminy on 18 was turned down New Zealand wasted a review with the ball pitching outside leg stump.
But Duminy was to make only two more runs before he top edged a short ball from Henry which was caught by Jeetan Patel on the boundary.
South Africa lead the series 1-0 and want a win in Hamilton to move up to second on the world rankings.
However, the weather could have the final say on the outcome with early rain forcing a delayed start to the Test and showers forecast throughout the five days.
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