New Zealanders 192 and 230 for 6 (McCullum 77, Taylor 79*, Vettori 14*, Tsotsobe 3-40) need another 128 runs to beat South Africa A 443 and 106 (McKenzie 34,Oram 5-16)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Brendon McCullum rescued his team with a 101-ball 77 © Getty Images Enlarge

A 139-run stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum saw the match poised for an exciting finish, after South Africa A had managed to run through the New Zealanders' top order for the second innings in succession on the third day of the tour game in Potchefstroom.

Needing 358 to win, the visitors were tottering at 67 for 5, facing an imminent defeat, before McCullum joined Taylor in the middle. Both batsmen hit 13 fours each in their rearguard action that helped their side reach a position from which they have an outside chance of a win.

Friedel de Wet, who took 6 for 50 in the first innings, bagged McCullum as his only wicket of the day to give his team the much-needed breakthrough. At stumps, Taylor remained unbeaten on 79 from 116 balls, and giving him company was his captain Daniel Vettori, who had top scored in his team's first-innings with 83.

Earlier in the day, South Africa A - resuming on 20 for 2 - were shot out for 106. Jacob Oram was the chief destroyer with five scalps, conceding 16 runs in a spell of 6.5 overs. Oram was brought on to bowl in the 17th over of the day, as Neil McKenzie and Boeta Dippenaar, the first-innings heroes for South Africa A, looked to extend the lead.

Oram wrecked that plan though by trapping Dippenaar in front of the stumps with his first ball. Next, Oram dismissed McKenzie in the same fashion, before running through the tail to help his side keep the hosts' lead down to 357, a good effort considering they trailed by 251 on the first innings.

At the start of the chase Daniel Vettori would have been hoping his batsmen - having failed to score big so far on the tour - would get some much-needed practice in the middle ahead of the first Test. Craig Cumming and Michael Papps played cautiously, before Cumming fell to Charl Langeveldt for 14. Rory Kleinveldt removed Lou Vincent, the No. 3 batsman, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe wreaked havoc with three strikes - that of Papps, Scott Styris and Oram - to leave the opposition reeling at 67 for 5.

McCullum and Taylor ensured there was no further damage for a while, and if the batting form of Vettori - two fifties in the last three innings - is anything to go by, then the New Zealanders would be fairly confident of maintaining their 100% record on the tour, having won the earlier match against a South African Invitational XI.