South Africa toured New Zealand in 2021/22 for two Test matches, a series that was drawn 1-1. Andrew Alderson’s report originally appeared in the 2023 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

Test matches (2): New Zealand 1 (12pts), South Africa 1 (12pts)

After 16 fruitless attempts dating back to 1931/32, New Zealand finally looked set to win a Test series against South Africa, having pulverised seemingly disheartened opponents in the first of two matches in Christchurch. What was labelled South Africa’s weakest team in a generation hardly landed a blow as the hosts won the series opener by an innings and 276 runs – their biggest victory, apart from two thrashings of Zimbabwe.

It was New Zealand’s first Test win over South Africa since March 2004, and was delivered by a team lacking Kane Williamson (injured), Ross Taylor (retired from Test cricket) and Trent Boult (paternity leave). South Africa were without Quinton de Kock, who had also retired from Tests, and batsman Keegan Petersen, who had gone down with Covid. On the sort of emerald-green Hagley Oval strip which had helped New Zealand win their previous four Tests there, Matt Henry proved irresistible. Match figures of 9-55 included 7-23 in the first innings, as South Africa folded for 95; he added an unbeaten 58 from No. 11.

The atmosphere in the visitors’ dressing-room was the subject of discussion during the First Test, and the questions continued in the post-mortem. Mark Boucher, the coach, shouldered arms when asked whether he was part of the problem, having recently been charged with misconduct over allegations of racism during his time as a player; he was later exonerated. Dean Elgar, the captain, went on the front foot, saying they had worked through the situation as a group; he stated firmly it was not a problem in their camp.

Despite this, everything seemed to point to another New Zealand victory in the second Test, when Elgar became the first to choose to bat at Hagley Oval, and warned in a post-toss interview that his charges needed to “front up”. His decision was considered bold, given the South Africans had survived only 91 overs in total in the First Test. And yet Elgar, who had concluded the surface was drier – and less green – than usual, tucked in with his new opening partner, Sarel Erwee, who went on to his maiden century in his second Test. After another maiden century, for wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, New Zealand were set 426, and were never at the races.

The seam-friendly pitches meant no opportunity for off-spinner Simon Harmer, back in a South African squad for the first time in more than six years after his Kolpak dalliance with Essex – though Keshav Maharaj played in the Second Test. New Zealand continued to ignore slow left-armer Ajaz Patel, who did not feature in any of their four home Tests early in 2022 after taking all ten Indian wickets in an innings at Mumbai in December.

The World Test Championship provided welcome context, but it was a pity there was no decider between two well-matched teams. The games were played in front of socially distanced crowds, courtesy of government pandemic regulations which capped eight separate pens at 100 spectators each.

South Africa touring party: D Elgar (c), T Bavuma, SJ Erwee, MZ Hamza, SR Harmer, M Jansen, KA Maharaj, AK Markram, PWA Mulder, LT Ngidi, D Olivier, K Rabada, RD Rickelton, LL Sipamla, GA Stuurman, HE van der Dussen, K Verreynne. Coach: MV Boucher. KD Petersen was originally selected, but tested positive for Covid and was replaced by Hamza.

First Test at Christchurch, February 17-19, 2022: New Zealand won by an innings and 276 runs

New Zealand 12pts. Toss: New Zealand. Test debut: SJ Erwee, GA Stuurman.

Matt Henry returned New Zealand’s best bowling figures against South Africa to help secure his country’s fifth Test victory over them in 46 attempts – and the first in nearly 18 years. He made the side only because Trent Boult was on paternity leave, and expectations were not great: Henry had just one wicket for 227 in two previous Tests at his home ground. But ruthless accuracy around off stump changed all that, helped by green seaming conditions, Tom Latham winning his first toss in seven, and Velcro-like catching from the slip cordon.

Henry’s guile and rhythm brought him 7-23, his best first-class haul, which also equalled New Zealand’s best at home: Richard Hadlee had identical figures 46 years previously to the day, against India at Wellington. South Africa were demolished for 95, their lowest against New Zealand, eclipsing 148 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in 1953/54. They lasted less than 50 overs, and only Hamza made more than 18 as the seamers strutted their stuff.

In the second innings, the South Africans fared little better, making 111 as Southee took up the baton. He finished with 5-35, rounding things off with the scalp of debutant seamer Glenton Stuurman, his 202nd Test wicket in New Zealand, breaking Hadlee’s record. It all meant the match was done and dusted by lunch on the third day. New Zealand’s only bigger victories had come against Zimbabwe, at Napier in 2011/12 (an innings and 301 runs) and Harare in 2005 (an innings and 294).

Between the bowling masterclasses came Nicholls’s 105, his eighth Test century, a crucial innings in the absence of Kane Williamson, who had a nagging elbow injury. Nicholls had arrived at 36-2, and exited at 273-6; his stand of 80 for the fourth wicket with nightwatchman Wagner was particularly morale-sapping for South Africa. Wagner relished his promotion, peppering the boundary nine times as he surfed to 49, pulling, cutting and driving without inhibition.

To compound their frustration, Blundell and Henry then compiled the highest tenth-wicket partnership between these teams: their 94-run stand eclipsed the 59 of B-J Watling and Trent Boult at Port Elizabeth in 2012/13, as the lead grew to a towering 387.

The win provided relief for New Zealand fans. The absence of Williamson and Boult meant none of the side which had featured in the infamous Cape Town capitulation for 45 in January 2013 were playing (Elgar was the only South African survivor). The message seemed to be that a fresh generation of players had learned their lessons, and fans would no longer have to hide behind the sofa when South Africa were the opposition. In fact, only once before had they lost a Test by a greater margin – by an innings and 360 runs against Australia at Johannesburg in February 2002.

The fielding highlight for New Zealand was Mitchell at first slip. He had taken over from the retired Ross Taylor, and held three catches, helped by hands like baseball gloves. Mitchell had already acknowledged he had “big mitts to fill”.

Player of the Match: MJ Henry.

Second Test at Christchurch, February 25-March 1, 2022: South Africa won by 198 runs

South Africa 12pts. Toss: South Africa.

South Africa levelled the series with the help of a plot twist worthy of Agatha Christie, as Elgar became the first captain in 11 Tests at Hagley Oval to choose to bat. “It was a bold decision, and luckily it paid off,” he said. “If it had backfired, I would’ve looked like an absolute idiot.” He had spotted that the pitch had more of a Tuscan-olive hue rather than its traditional Kermit green. South Africa took advantage of the better batting conditions, and Elgar oozed determination throughout.

His side established a psychological advantage from the start: he and his new partner, Sarel Erwee, totted up their side’s first century opening stand overseas since Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen at Adelaide in November 2012. They put on 111, and Erwee – who had struggled for 10 runs on his debut the previous week – handled the strong pace attack with aplomb on the way to a hundred. Now 32, he had considered quitting in 2019, but was persuaded to carry on; he might have missed out here had Keegan Petersen not tested positive shortly before the tour. By the end of the first day, South Africa had the upper hand at 238-3, although six edges had fallen short of the cordon: for New Zealand, a collective step forward might have helped.

Their problems were not over. Jansen and Maharaj laid about the bowling in a ninth-wicket stand of 62 – a record for South Africa against New Zealand – and the total reached 364. Wagner took 4-102, though his last five overs cost 39. In the first Test, South Africa’s final four wickets had scraped together 34 in two innings, compared with their opponents’ 209 in one. The figures flipped here: South Africa 249, New Zealand 109.

The hosts’ reply began shakily: they were soon 9-2, thanks to Rabada – who would finish with five wickets – and later scrambling at 91-5, before de Grandhomme decided attack was the best form of defence. With the power of a lumberjack, he muscled his way to a second Test century, and his highest score. As the wind switched to a southerly, and cable-knit sweaters became de rigueur, the fielders might have been grateful they could keep warm by chasing the ball.

Mist cloaked the Port Hills on the third morning, and New Zealand clung to hopes that the aggressive de Grandhomme and the phlegmatic Mitchell could take them close to parity. They ultimately trailed by 71, despite a record sixth-wicket partnership between these sides of 133.

In South Africa’s second innings, a spellbinding one-handed catch by Young at deep midwicket, to catch Jansen off de Grandhomme, might have changed the game: his departure made it 219-7, a lead of 290. New Zealand were in with a slight chance if the tail sagged; but it wagged – vigorously.

Verreynne had not passed 30 in eight previous Test innings, but now hit out, helped by Rabada in an eighth-wicket stand of 78 in 10 overs. A 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman with a first-class average above 50, Verreynne batted for five hours, latterly launching himself off his feet to power deliveries square of the wicket. Rabada was his main wingman, hitting four sixes in a 34-ball 47. And he was soon back in business in the field, taking two wickets in his first seven deliveries to render New Zealand’s hopes of chasing 426 futile.

Maharaj, the match’s sole spinner, made two important incisions, bowling Nicholls and Mitchell; he rounded off a series-squaring victory by trapping Henry. Conway fought hard, missing a century against the country of his birth when he was pinned by Sipamla for 92, but too many fell to soft leg-side catches. Elgar celebrated his triumph, while New Zealand’s glimpse of a first series victory over South Africa turned out to be a mirage.

Player of the Match: K Rabada.
Player of the Series: MJ Henry.