Sinclair stands firm

PORT ELIZABETH (SOUTH AFRICA), NOV. 30. Mathew Sinclair scored his second Test half-century to prop up New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa today.

New Zealand, which lost the toss and was asked to bat, was 145 for four at tea with Sinclair batting on 54 and Craig McMillan on 22, having shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 44.

Sinclair has been batting for almost two-and-a-half hours in which time he has faced 119 balls and hit nine fours. The last time he reached 50 was on his Test debut against the West Indies 13 innings previously, when he went on to score 214.

Openers Mark Richardson and Craig Spearman put on 43 before Spearman, on 16, turned a straight delivery from fast bowler Allan Donald into the hands of Gary Kirsten at short leg.

Half-an-hour before lunch a ball from paceman Makhaya Ntini pitched on left-hander Richardson's off-stump and nipped between his bat and pad to bowl him for 26.

New Zealand went to lunch on 66 for two, and in the 10th over of the second session, captain Stephen Fleming mistimed a straight drive to a slower ball from Shaun Pollock and gave a return catch, having scored 14. The dismissal ended a third- wicket stand of 40 between Fleming and Sinclair.

Two overs later New Zealand was 101 for four after Pollock struck again by trapping Nathan Astle in front for two with the batsman having offered no stroke.

Donald has been limited to eight overs by a sore heel which has seen him leave the field several times for treatment.

- Reuters

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