Tim Southee grabs five-for as New Zealand crush South Africa

CHRISTCHURCH: Pace bowler Tim Southee grabbed five second-innings wickets as South Africa suffered their second largest innings defeat against New Zealand in the first of the two-Test series at the Hagley Oval here on Saturday.

Thanks to Southee's incisive bowling (5/35 in 17.4 overs) the Blackcaps thrashed the visitors by an innings and 276 runs with the Proteas capitulating for 111 runs, 35 minutes after the scheduled lunch break.

The Dean Elgar-led Proteas faced a total of 91 overs in their two innings with New Zealand pocketing 12 crucial World Test Championship points following the massive victory.

It is only the second occasion when New Zealand have beaten the Proteas in a Test. The last one was 18 years ago in Auckland.

New Zealand will look to make a clean sweep of the short series when the second Test is played that the same venue -- but on a different pitch -- from February 25.

Brief scores: South Africa 95 and 111 in 41.4 overs (Temba Bavuma 41; Tim Southee 5/35, Matt Henry 2/32) lost to New Zealand 482 in 117.5 overs by an innings and 276 runs. IANS

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