Tiaan van Vuuren claimed three wickets to ensure honours were shared on the opening day of the second four-day match between South Africa A and New Zealand A in Benoni.
The left-arm seamer returned 3-55 from 16 overs, including six maidens, as the tourists reached 282-6 at stumps.
Opener Curtis Heaphy anchored the innings with an unbeaten 108 off 250 balls (10 fours) – his second career hundred – while Mitchell Hay (56 off 84 balls; eight fours, one six) and Muhammad Abbas (40) offered key support.
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New Zealand A, who won the first match by 185 runs in Potchefstroom last week, won the toss and chose to bat.
Heaphy, 22, added 41 for the first wicket with last week’s double centurion Rhys Mariu (30), who was caught by Sinethemba Qeshile off Van Vuuren. Bevon-John Jacobs fell next ball to the same bowler before Abbas joined Heaphy in a 61-run stand for the third wicket, which Van Vuuren broke after lunch when Abbas edged behind.
Heaphy and Hay then added 104 for the fourth wicket to put the tourists in control, but Jason Smith (1-30) bowled Hay to spark a late collapse.
Josh Clarkson (16) was run out by Lesego Senokwane and Okuhle Cele removed Zakary Foulkes (three) to leave the visitors 247-6, before Adithya Ashok (20*) helped Heaphy see out the day without further damage.
Photo: Charle Lombard/Gallo Images
