New Zealand took the second new ball just before lunch and lost a review as well
Lunch South Africa 364 & 232 for 7 (Verreynne 76*, Rabada 2*) lead New Zealand 293 by 303 runs
In bright sunshine, scoring came quicker than it has throughout the match for South Africa, at more than three an over. New Zealand may see that as good news as they attempt what will be a record chase at this ground but will want to begin that as soon as possible. The second new ball came the over before lunch and New Zealand will hope it can help them get rid of the tail after they had to rely on outstanding catching to take two wickets in the morning.
South Africa scored two runs in the first four overs of the morning before Mulder offered a half-chance. He flicked Tim Southee wide of Colin de Grandhomme at backward square leg to start to show some intent. A more genuine opportunity came in the next over when Mulder top-edged a pull shot off a Matt Henry short ball but it fell in a vacant fine leg area and Mulder survived.
Verreynne had a more sedate start to the day. He faced just 10 balls in the first seven overs of the day and scored two runs before getting going with a clip off his pads to send Henry for four. He went on to show off the reputation he has gained domestically for being a shot-maker, scored 24 runs off the next 25 balls he faced and brought out the pull shot against Southee and Henry to leave himself on the brink of a half-century. That’s when he lost Mulder, who edged Kyle Jamieson as he defended inside the line. Tom Blundell took a one-handed blinder to his right, after changing direction at the last second.
The catch had nothing on what came in two overs before the second new ball was due. Marco Jansen whipped Colin de Grandhomme to deep midwicket, where Will Young ran to his left, stuck out his left arm and the ball stuck as he rolled over and avoided crashing into the boundary. There was no crowd in that section of the ground but Young saluted a superb catch anyway.
By then, Verrynne had brought up fifty off 97 balls with a glance to fine leg and found an able partner in Jansen. Jansen took 12 deliveries to get off the mark and scored 2 off his first 33 balls, and was content to hold an end. He spent 41 balls in the middle in total and took South Africa within 10 balls of the second new ball.
It was taken as soon as it became available and New Zealand thought it had an immediate effect. They reviewed a Henry lbw appeal against Verreynne, who was hit above the knee roll on the back foot. Ball-tracking showed it was going over the stumps, a reasonable conclusion given the extra bounce in the surface and Verreynne survived.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent