The chips were down for South Africa even before a ball was bowled as Tom Latham sent them in on a green top in Christchurch – a staggering 40th such instance at the toss in 43 Tests in New Zealand in the last decade. The resurgent Matt Henry took full advantage of the opportunity to have the first bite of the cherry to make a defining early impact on the fixture. There was swing and seam in abundance for most of the New Zealand quicks but it was Matt Henry, playing in his first Test since June 2021, who decimated the visitors with a seven-wicket haul.
A special day and a record performance! @Matthenry014 delivers the @ANZ_NZ Play of the Day at Hagley Oval. #NZvSA pic.twitter.com/DMO6Ne36Tz
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 17, 2022
