Petersen puts South Africa on top

	Alviro Petersen moved to triple figures as smoothly as he had navigated the wind and the rain on day two © Getty Images  Enlarge

South Africa transformed their position from commanding to near-unassailable, as hundreds from Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy lifted the hosts to 362 for 3 on the third morning. New Zealand managed just one wicket in the session, with Duminy perishing soon after his century, but Petersen progressed to 156 with AB de Villiers for company.

Petersen had been perched on 96 overnight, and although New Zealand had the new ball with which to eke a nervous stroke, Petersen moved to triple figures as smoothly as he had navigated the wind and the rain on day two. A cover drive off Chris Martin's fourth ball reaped the first two runs of the day, before a rasping cut brought his third Test ton, confirming his place in the batting order after four muddling performances on tour had put it in jeopardy.

His approach changed little following the milestone as he stuck methodically to the scoring strokes that had carried him to his first success in New Zealand. Drives straight and through cover were measured out when the hosts went looking for swing, and the pull again proved productive, particularly off Daniel Vettori, who had bowled a touch short throughout the Test.

Martin managed little penetration, though that was hardly for lack of trying. When movement evaded him he pitched short, but when his attempts to intimidate were not safely ducked, they were rebuffed emphatically - a thundering hook from Peterson to a ball rising above his head making plain the batsmen's command of the pitch, and the bowling.

Doug Bracewell's indiscipline exacerbated New Zealand's woes as his first three overs bled 24 runs. Three consecutive floaters outside off stump were met with handsome cover-drives from JP Duminy, propelling him deep into the nineties after a short-pitched barrage to him too had proved fruitless. Duminy was made to wait 18 balls to move from 98 to 100, in perhaps the only passage of play in which New Zealand mustered pressure, but he did not allow his anxiety to turn into rashness. A clip off the pads brought him his century - the second in his career after the match-winning 166 at the MCG in 2008.

Duminy's dismissal on 103 was surprising - caught at slip off Mark Gillespie, the bowler who had obtained the least movement from the flattening pitch, on a morning where barely anything beat the bat. But his 200-run association with Petersen had set the scene for a mammoth first innings total, one that New Zealand will struggle to better, given their batting woes, let alone overhaul well enough to effect series-levelling win.