Summary NW were 47-6 after South Africa declared its first innings on 525-8 on day two of the second test.
New Zealand was in tatters at 47-6 after South Africa declared its first innings on 525-8 on day two of the second test on Saturday, leaving the rattled tourists sliding toward another heavy and embarrassing defeat.
After three South African batsmen made centuries, Dale Steyn roared in to remove Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, Rory Kleinveldt dismissed Dean Brownlie and Daniel Flynn, and spinner Robin Peterson had two wickets in two balls at the end of an utterly dominant day for the top-ranked Proteas.
New Zealand limped to stumps still 478 runs behind after being 8-2 and 39-6 on another humbling day following its 45 all out in the first test.
"We knew what we were confronted with," coach Mike Hesson said. "When we got under pressure, we weren t able to cope."
Faf du Plessis hit 137 for his second test century and Dean Elgar was 103 not out for his maiden hundred adding to Hashim Amla s 110 as South Africa declared soon after tea.
Steyn s furious early spell gave him 2-14 while Kleinveldt, who was called in after an injury to Vernon Philander, had 2-18. Peterson took 2-2, including captain Brendon McCullum and debutant Colin Munro out first ball.
South Africa s batsmen were equally dominant at St. George s Park, with Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers making half-centuries on the first day before the hundreds from Amla, Du Plessis and Elgar. The Proteas built partnerships of 91, 86, 113 and 131 through their formidable first innings.
New Zealand s best early partnership was 19 in 24 destructive minutes from the South African bowlers at the end of the day.
"We did everything right so it s very close to a perfect day," Du Plessis said.
South Africa already leads the two-match series 1-0 against the No. 8-ranked Black Caps and was powering toward another victory and a fifth straight series win less than halfway through the test.
The struggling Kiwis were facing four losses and a draw in their last five series, ramping up the pressure on Hesson, who was already under fire back home for choosing to replace former captain Ross Taylor with McCullum as skipper.
"I think we all share the load, to be honest," Hesson said. "This test match and the last test match we haven t been up to it. South Africa is a very tough place to tour. They re the world s No. 1 side for a reason. At the moment we re ranked eighth in the world for a reason. We re struggling.
"The players are trying their very best and they re being outclassed."
With South Africa continuing on 325-4, the day started with a glimmer of hope for New Zealand when Amla fell early after adding just four to his overnight score.
But Du Plessis and Elgar s 131-run stand snuffed out any hope of a New Zealand revival as the newcomers with just seven test appearances between them took South Africa marching toward 500 by the time Du Plessis skied a catch off Munro for his highest test score.
Du Plessis hit 14 fours and two sixes in his 252-ball innings and has two centuries and two half-centuries in four tests.
South Africa delayed its declaration until after tea to allow Elgar to reach three figures.
After making a pair of ducks on his debut in Australia, the relieved left-hander who went slowly and nervously through the nineties hit his 15th boundary to go past 100 and threw both arms into the air and jumped up to hug batting partner Kleinveldt.
South Africa s bowling was even more ruthless.
Steyn ripped out Guptill (1) and Williamson (4), caught in the slips, having already had Guptill dropped in the first over.
Kleinveldt removed Brownlie for 10 with a fierce rising delivery that he edged to wicketkeeper De Villiers. Daniel Flynn was lbw for a duck, and a review couldn t save him.
McCullum flashed at a wide delivery and edged behind in left-arm slow bowler Peterson s first over, and Munro departed off the next ball as New Zealand slumped to 39-6.
BJ Watling s (15 not out) cut for four took them past 45 and averted an even lower score than the disaster in Cape Town.
