Duminy moves closer to spinning allrounder role

Despite JP Duminy taking a career-best 4 for 47, he said offspinner Dane Piedt, who is arriving ahead of the Hamilton Test, should "definitely not" remain in South Africa at his expense. Instead, Duminy intends to keep working on his bowling in the hope that he will finally be able to live up to the allrounder reputation he was developing a few years ago.

"It's something that I have been working on for a period of time and unfortunately I haven't reaped any rewards, but I guess it comes down to opportunities," Duminy said. "If you look at recent Test matches, our seam attack coupled with Keshav (Maharaj) have been doing really well. I've been getting an odd over here and there so the opportunities haven't really been there. When you look at a spinner, it's got to be a big portion of overs that they have to bowl to get success. Today was one of those days when I got an opportunity to carry on."

Although picked for his batting alone, Duminy offered South Africa offspin from the start of his career and was often asked to play a holding role in the early years. He bowled in 11 of his first 14 Tests, once delivering as many of 24 overs - against England in Durban - and had some success. In total, Duminy took 11 wickets in that part of his career albeit at an average of 45.

Things became more serious in November 2012, when Duminy was picked as the sole spinner in a South African XI to play a Test in Brisbane but tore his Achilles' tendon in the match and was out of action for six months. On his return, he bowled with some regularity for South Africa, and delivered a minimum of 11 overs a match in the next ten Tests. Since, however, he has tapered off. He has only bowled more than 10 overs twice in 16 Tests after that and fewer than five overs on eight occasions.

In Wellington, Duminy was tasked with bowling 11.3 overs and helped trigger a lower-order collapse in unlikely fashion. Six of New Zealand's wickets fell to spin on a surface that was seamer-friendly. "It's probably not a wicket we will think that spinners will dominate on," he said. "The plan we had to try and get wickets was a good one - to try and bowl a wider line. There wasn't a lot of purchase for spinners so I thought our tactics were pretty good."

South Africa had some luck - Jimmy Neesham was stumped after striding far out of his crease and BJ Watling was caught off the back pad flap - but Duminy believed that was a result of the pressure the visitors put back on New Zealand after easing off in the second session. "There were periods when they played really well and we were probably guilty of leaking a bit in the middle session. But I thought we brought it back nicely and got some crucial wickets at crucial times," Duminy said. "There are times in the game when things need to go your way, and fortunately for us it happened that way. But I think it comes down to being consistent in a certain area and with that, things will happen for you. That sort of played out today."

Although South Africa fought back, they found themselves on the back foot after both openers were dismissed in the final period. With "something in the wicket," Duminy expects his batting will be needed more than his bowling on the second day. "Tomorrow will be a big day in terms of where this Test match goes. There will still be a hint of swing with Southee there so we're going to have to bat well."