Alviro Petersen batted more than eight hours over three weather-affected days to reach his highest test score of 156, tightening South Africa’s grip on the third test against New Zealand by stumps on its third day on Sunday.
Petersen’s 493-minute knock, which incorporated partnerships of 93 with Hashim Amla (63) and 200 with JP Duminy (103), allowed South Africa to declare after tea at 474-9 after a first innings drawn out by rain and bad light.
At the declaration, South Africa’s position seemed invulnerable in a three-match series it leads 1-0. But Mark Gillespie led a late Kiwi fightback, taking a career-best 6-113 while Daniel Flynn (35) and Martin Guptill (28) saw New Zealand to 65 without loss by stumps.
