Will O’Rourke takes record haul as Black Caps eye series win over South Africa
Thursday, 15 February 2024
At Seddon Park, Hamilton: South Africa 242 & 235 all out (David Bedingham 110; Will O’Rourke 5-34) met the Black Caps 211 & 40-1 in 13.5 overs. Click here for the full scorecard.
The Black Caps have two days to score 227 more runs to win the second test against South Africa, with nine wickets in hand.
Debutant seamer Will O’Rourke took 5-34 as South Africa were dismissed for 235 in their second innings.
The 22-year-old’s match figures of 9-93 were the best by a New Zealander on test debut.
Will O’Rourke has more than done his part in his first test for the Black Caps.
Now the onus is on the nine men still ahead of him in the batting order to get the job done and seal a historic series win over South Africa.
The towering seamer took three wickets after tea on the third day of the second test at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday to finish with 5-34 as the visitors were bowled out for 235 in their second innings.
His dad, Patrick, was there to celebrate with him afterwards. “He was obviously extremely proud,” Will said. “He's a big softie. He was welling up a little bit, which was cool to see.'
Combined with his 4-59 in South Africa’s first innings, the 22-year-old finished with match figures of 9-93, the best by a New Zealander on debut.
Having been fuelled by David Bedingham’s maiden test century, a knock of 110, South Africa lost their last six wickets while adding just 33 runs, which left the Black Caps needing 267 to win and take the series 2-0.
At stumps, they were 40-1, with Tom Latham not out on 21 and Devon Conway out for 17 off what turned out to be the final ball of the day, trapped LBW by off-spinner Dane Piedt.
O’Rourke’s efforts with the ball stood tall in a Black Caps bowling display that was largely uninspiring.
They began the day with their tails between the legs, having conceded a 31-run first-innings led to their opponents, a makeshift team who were well-beaten in the first test in Mount Maunganui.
It was only when O’Rourke was introduced in the ninth over that the Black Caps really started to threaten, though it was left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra who made the first breakthrough, trapping Clyde Fortuin LBW for three.
In a six-over spell either side of the first drinks break, O’Rourke was clocked over 140kph while picking up the wickets of Raynard van Tonder, caught by Neil Wagner at deep square leg for one, and South African captain Neil Brand, caught behind for 34, edging a near-perfect delivery.
That double strike left the Proteas 39-3, but what followed was a weird period. Instead of turning to Neil Wagner, who ultimately didn’t feature in the morning session, captain Tim Southee used his two spinners, Ravindra and Glenn Phillips, in the half-hour before lunch, where they coughed up 38 runs in six overs, evaporating any pressure.
Wagner had to wait his turn after lunch as well, but struck with his fifth delivery in typical fashion, getting Zubayr Hamza caught at deep square leg by Will Young. The veteran left-armer was fired up, raising a finger to his lips in a message to persons unknown, then engaging in a robust conversation with his skipper.
He couldn’t repeat the trick after that, however, with both Bedingham and Keegan Petersen attacking his short balls and profiting. South Africa climbed to 202-4 shortly after tea and looked to be in control of proceedings.
It then seemed as if the day turned on a piece of brilliance in the field by Phillips - a one-handed catch to dismiss Petersen for 43 that was very similar to the one he took on the first morning. The off-spinner had barely threatened with the ball before that, but proceeded to remove Ruan de Swardt and Dane Piedt as the Proteas collapsed.
The other man in the thick of the action, of course, was O’Rourke, who put Bedingham on his back foot and had him caught sharply by Phillips at gully, then accounted for bowlers Shaun von Berg and Dane Paterson in quick succession.
O’Rourke had never taken a five-wicket bag in first-class cricket before, but he will be regarded as a hero in Hamilton, provided his team-mates get the job done on Friday. His haul of nine wickets was one more than Mark Craig managed in his first test, in the West Indies in 2014.
The previous record test chase at Seddon Park was of 210, by Australia in 2000, but with conditions looking sublime for batting, the Black Caps are now well-positioned to bump that entry down the history list as well, even after their late setback.