PORT ELIZABETH, NOVEMBER 30: Matthew Sinclair scored his second Test half-century to prop up New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa on Thursday.New Zealand, who lost the toss and were asked to bat, were 145 for four at tea with Sinclair batting on 54 and Craig Mcmillan on 22, having shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 44. Sinclair has been batting for almost two-and-a-half hours in which time he has faced 119 balls and hit nine fours. The last time he reached 50 was on his Test debut against West Indies 13 innings previously, when he went on to score 214.Openers Mark Richardson and Craig Spearman put on 43 before Spearman, on 16, turned a straight delivery from fast bowler Allan Donald onto his hip and into the hands of Gary Kirsten at short leg. Half-an-hour before lunch a ball from paceman Makhaya Ntini pitched on left-hander Richardson’s off-stump and nipped between his bat and pad to bowl him for 26. New Zealand went to lunch on 66 for two, and in the 10th over of the second session captain Stephen Fleming mistimed a straight drive to a slower ball from Shaun Pollock and gave a return catch, having scored 14. The dismissal ended a third-wicket stand of 40 between Fleming and Sinclair. ScoreboardNew Zealand 1st innings): M Richardson b Ntini 26, C Spearman c Kirsten b Donald 16, M Sinclair not out 54, S Fleming c & b Pollock 14, N Astle lbw b Pollock 2, C Mcmillan not out 22 , Extras (b4, lb3, nb2, w3) 11, Total (four wickets) 145.Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-55, 3-95, 4-101.Bowling: Donald 8-0-21-1; Pollock 15-8-40-2; Kallis 14-5-31-0; Ntini 12-4-31-1; Klusener 6-2-8-0; Boje 4-0-7-0.
