Tiaan van Vuuren claimed three wickets to ensure that honours were shared on the opening day of the second four-day match between South Africa A and New Zealand A at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday.
The left-arm seamer finished with three for 55 from 16 overs, six of which were maidens, as the tourists went to stumps on 282 for six.
Opener Curtis Heaphy was their mainstay after recording an unbeaten century – the right-hander scored 108* off 250 balls (10 fours) – with support coming too from Mitchell Hay (56 off 84 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) and Muhammad Abbas (40).
But it was the former who had the biggest impact thanks to his second career ton, which held things together for the touring side.
The New Zealanders, who won the first match by 185 runs in Potchefstroom last week, called correctly at the toss and opted to bat first on the East Rand.
Heaphy, 22, put on 41 for the first wicket with last week’s double centurion, Rhys Mariu (30), who was caught by wicketkeeper Sinethemba Qeshile off Van Vuuren.
New man Bevon-John Jacobs fell next ball to the same bowler, before Abbas helped Heaphy put on 61 for the third wicket to take the visitors past 100.
Van Vuuren again broke the stand when he had Abbas caught behind after lunch.
Then came the key partnership of the innings, a stand of 104 between Hay and Heaphy. That was finally ended with Jason Smith bowling the former, and though the latter kept going, New Zealand fell into big trouble after two more quick wickets.
Josh Clarkson (16) was run out by Lesego Senokwane and Okuhle Cele dismissed Zakary Foulkes (3) leaving the total on 247 for six, but Adithya Ashok (20*) offered strong resistance late on, taking his side to the close without further damage.
South Africa A Four-Day Squad against New Zealand A
Marques Ackerman (captain, Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Okuhle Cele (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Gerald Coetzee (Momentum Multiply Titans), Schalk Engelbrecht (Momentum Multiply Titans), Zubayr Hamza (DP World Lions), Jordan Hermann (Dafabet Warriors), Tristan Luus (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Rivaldo Moonsamy (Momentum Multiply Titans), Tshepo Moreki (World Sports Betting Western Province), Mihlali Mpongwana (World Sports Betting Western Province), Tsepo Ndwandwa (Momentum Multiply Titans), Sinethemba Qeshile (Dafabet Warriors), Lesego Senokwane (Momentum Multiply Titans), Lutho Sipamla (DP World Lions), Jason Smith (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), and Codi Yusuf (DP World Lions).
Four-Day Matches
07 – 10 September at 10:00
South Africa A lost to New Zealand A by 185 runs – JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
14 – 17 September at 10:00
South Africa A vs New Zealand A – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
