Dean Elgar to the rescue in Dunedin Test
Elgar’s patient 128-run knock set SA up for a revival against New Zealand, after some serious trouble early on the first day
Dunedin — An unbeaten hundred from Dean Elgar rescued SA from a grim start to take the honours on day one of the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday. It was the opener’s seventh Test century, and one of the most important, in a patient innings after SA were in early trouble at 22/3 in Dunedin. By stumps they were 229/4 with Elgar on 128, and Temba Bavuma on 38. Elgar set the tone for the revival with a 126-run stand for the fourth wicket with captain Faf du Plessis and followed with an unbroken 81 for the fifth wicket with Bavuma. Although the pitch offered little support for the bowlers, for the batsmen it was a constant struggle to score, with 30 maidens among the 90 overs bowled. Elgar left when he could, blocked when he needed to, and punished anything loose — he had 20 boundaries in his century, which took 197 balls to compile. He offered a rare chance on 36, when he was dropped down the legside by wicketkeeper BJ Watling, and on 42 escaped a possible run-out when Neil ...
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