Feature

PE's home boys, and New Zealand's saving grace

Plays of the day from the fourth day of the second Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Port Elizabeth

BJ Watling was New Zealand's saving grace  •  Associated Press

BJ Watling was New Zealand's saving grace  •  Associated Press

Big sail of the day
New Zealand would have woken up in Port Elizabeth thinking they been teleported back to Wellington. A fierce south-westerly blew through the city and you need look no further than Jacques Kallis to see what an impact it had. Kallis was in his run-up in his second over when a feisty gust blew across the ground just as he was about to deliver the ball. He had to stop for fear of being blown over. Considering Kallis' sturdy build, imagine what the strong breezes were doing to the rest of the players.
Home boys of the day
Robin Peterson and Alviro Petersen are the two players in the current South African XI who were born in Port Elizabeth and both are playing their first Test at St George's Park. They got to enjoy a special moment together when bowled from opposite ends. Petersen was used so Peterson could change ends, and they only operated in tandem for two overs.
Wait of the day
It's not often that Peterson bowls before Dale Steyn in a day of Test cricket. It's even rarer that Petersen does. With the new ball 13 overs and two balls away when the morning began, Steyn was allowed some down time and ended being the sixth bowler used on the day, after Rory Kleinveldt, Peterson, Jacques Kallis, Petersen, and Morne Morkel. As soon as Steyn came on, he was among the wickets, taking two in his first two overs.
Number of the day
BJ Watling will end the Test series as one of the two New Zealand batsmen with their respect intact. Watling produced good fighting knocks in this match, both of which yielded exactly the same number of runs: 63. Half-centuries and hundreds are the milestones most batsmen remember but 63 could be what Watling treasures because although the team was crushed badly, those runs helped him leave a mark.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent