South Africa cruise to second Test win

South Africa have breezed past New Zealand to win the second Test by eight wickets inside three days at the Basin Reserve.

The Proteas bowled out the Black Caps for 171 in their second innings on Saturday, then proceeded to chase down the resulting 81-run target in 24.3 overs for the loss of two wickets.

Opener Stephen Cook (11) and Dean Elgar (17) disappeared along the way but Hashim Amla (38) and JP Duminy (15) were patient in wrapping up the inevitable win.

The Proteas take a 1-0 series lead going into the third Test in Hamilton next week.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj spearheaded the South African bowling effort on day three, picking up his second five-wicket bag in as many Tests.

Maharaj, who returned figures of 5-94 in the drawn first Test in Dunedin last week, found flight and turn to rip through a fragile Black Caps batting line-up.

He finished with 6-40 off 20.2 overs including the key wicket of New Zealand opener Jeet Raval, whose 80 was the only innings of substance for the Black Caps.

Raval's 65-run partnership with BJ Watling for the sixth wicket delayed the inevitable only briefly.

He saw the New Zealanders through to 5-139 at tea, but added only 16 runs before Maharaj struck.

Raval comfortably bettered his previous best innings in five Tests - 55 against Pakistan last November - with his 174-ball innings including 10 boundaries.

But the wickets fell rapidly following his dismissal, only two other players - Neil Broom (20) and BJ Watling (29) - reaching double figures.

South Africa had opened day three by adding another 10 runs to their overnight total of 349-9 to take a 91-run lead over the Black Caps' first innings tally of 268.

The Proteas pace attack dominated early, Morne Morkel striking twice to remove Tom Latham (6) and Kane Williams (1) to leave New Zealand reeling at 2-26 after seven overs.

Morkel also accounted for Broom to finish with figures of 3-50, but it was Maharaj's introduction after lunch which really paid dividends.

He removed Henry Nicholls, unable to repeat his first innings heroics of 118, for seven then Jimmy Neesham for four before snaring the key wicket of Raval.

At 155-6, the writing was on the wall for New Zealand and the South Africans duly obliged, snaring the last four wickets for just 16 runs.