Day 4 at Wellington: How to Keep a Test Alive and the Opposition Interested

Beh. Today we registered our highest total of the series, but it was also the most frustrating batting effort to watch. The 5-0 at Hamilton was a sudden shove into the deep end, this was more an unwitting lazy slide into dangerous waters.

Of course, the top three of Guptill-McCullum-Flynn should have gone on for more, but 219-3 was still a position of relative comfort. Then, with Ross taylor injured out, with one careless dismissal after another suddenly we had to depend on French cut specialist Mark Gillespie to take us past the follow on mark, just. How did we allow ourselves to be in this position?

Strangely, the most culpable shot of the day came from Dean Brownlie, who was the most selective of the batsmen in Australia. Three deliveries into the new ball pulling Philander down deep square leg's throat..sigh.

Even more crazily, the bowlers leaked runs aplenty in south Africa's innings, so they now have a lead of 274 going into the final day. I predicted South Africa would declare a lot earlier on the third day, but instead they took their conservatism to a new level and looked happy to be playing for the draw. We've let them back in dangerously.

Batting out a draw tomorrow will be a tough ask, it looks like South Africa have too many runs and potentially enough over to play with. There's no Taylor, and the lower-order have found Philander and co. too much to cope with. There's still hope considering the wicket is playing well and there's no spin to contend with, though their pacemen have been outstanding in this test.

Do it for Rosscoe, chaps.