Follow UsAn unbeaten 136 from Kyle Verreynne and fiery spells from Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj left South Africa six wickets away from a series-leveling win against New Zealand in the second Test at Christchurch on Monday.
Set an imposing record target of 426, the Black Caps ended day four at 94/4 with Devon Conway not out on 60. They need an imposing 332 runs on the final day after losing their top order in a heap.
Rabada, after a fifer in the first innings and scoring an entertaining 34-ball 47 in the second, dismissed Tom Latham for a single run off the third ball of the second innings and got the better of Will Young, who returned back for a duck.
Maharaj, lone spinner on both sides, made the most out of the turn from the pitch as he snared the wickets of Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell to leave the hosts reeling at 81/4.
The existing record for the highest successful fourth innings chase is 418 by the West Indies against Australia 19 years ago and New Zealand started as if they thought it was within reach. Tom Latham scampered for a cheeky single off the first ball to show intent but Rabada had other ideas.
Earlier in the day, Verreynne completed his maiden Test century after the Proteas were stuttering at 91/5 in the second innings. The 24-year-old added 78 runs each with Wiaan Mulder (35) and Rabada before adding a further 32 with Lutho Sipamla until the declaration. Rabada went on the rampage smacking four sixes and four fours to reach 47 off 34 deliveries before he was caught in the deep attempting to reach his fifty.
Verreynne said it was a satisfying innings that went according to plan.
"When I did cross the mark and get to a hundred there was just that sense of pride and joy that I'd made a big impact towards pushing for a result," he said, adding it was Rabada's quickfire 47 that really lifted the team. He said to me he was going to stick around with me until I got my hundred but once he started hitting it I said he had to keep going. It was like he couldn't miss."
"The way be played was probably one of the big factors in terms of the energy we took into our bowling. What he was able to do just gave everyone a bit of energy."
(With inputs from AFP)