Test ends in whimper for Kiwis

South Africa: 525/8 declared

New Zealand: 121 all out

South Africa won by an innings and 193 runs

The end was always nigh for New Zealand, but the last rites were meted out so swiftly New Zealand hardly had time to breathe.

For South Africa, it was a second consecutive home series win and their first back-to-back Test wins at home since they did so against Bangladesh in 2008.

The task of getting South Africa to bat a second time was always going to be too large for Dean Brownlie and BJ Watling but they came out with positivity and attacked Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt.

With the new ball only 13 overs away at the start of play, they did not have much of an option.

The belligerent Watling has proven his credentials as an excellent batsman who is batting too low down the order, but with the keeping duties there isn’t anywhere else New Zealand could use him.

His 219-ball 98 run partnership with the subdued Brownlie only delayed the inevitable but Brownlie, who crawled to a 129-ball half century, undid his hard work when he feathered a wide Jacques Kallis half volley into AB de Villiers’s gloves, and with his wicket there was a sense of the stuffing being knocked out of the Black Caps.

Their aim was to see out the new ball and that did not seem likely to happen.

Colin Munro punched three sumptuous boundaries in his 25-ball 15 but there was no time for cameos and he did not look like he was in the mood for a fight.

He was the new ball’s first victim when he tickled a wide Morne Morkel delivery to Alviro Petersen at third slip.

Watling got out to the ball of the morning and with Dale Steyn’s knack for getting the key batsman out, it was very fitting.

New Zealand did not offer much in terms of resistance and they subsided easily.

Doug Bracewell prodded to third slip off Steyn. Trent Boult’s attempted upper cut only went as far as gully instead of deep third man and Neil Wagner’s hook was edged behind.

What started as a whimper in Cape Town ended in a whimper in Port Elizabeth.

The South African cricket juggernaut continues to steamroller.