McMillan corners Kiwis

New Zealand 288 and 121-4

South Africa 440

Fanie de Villiers and Brian McMillan each struck twice as South Africa closed in on New Zealand in the third Test in Cape Town.

New Zealand go into today's final day on 121 for 4, needing 31 to avoid an innings defeat.

De Villiers and McMillan pushed the New Zealanders into a tight corner after the obdurate South African wicketkeeper, Dave Richardson, had completed a maiden Test century during the morning session to lift South Africa to 440 all out and a 152-run first-innings lead. Richardson, 70 not out overnight, completed his hundered off 202 balls, with six fours.

Richardson was last man out for 109 when he top-edged a gentle full toss from Simon Doull to Martin Crowe at slip. His invaluable innings included 53 singles.

De Villiers, who bowled with much heart, made an early breakthrough when New Zealand batted again, trapping Darrin Murray leg before for three.

De Villiers later persuaded Adam Parore to hook a bouncer straight to Clive Eksteen on the fine-leg boundary.

Martin Crowe gloved a lifter from McMillan to Richardson before Ken Rutherford shouldered arms to an inswinger and was given out lbw.

Rutherford's barrage of obscenities was seen on television and could incur the wrath of the match referee, Peter Burge.

(Fourth day: New Zealand won toss)

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings 288 (S P Fleming 79, K R Rutherford 56; B M McMillan 4-65, S D Jack 4-69)

SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings (Overnight: 381 for 7)

G Kirsten b Thomson 64

P J R Steyn lbw Thomson 38

J B Commins c Rutherford b Hart 27

D J Cullinan c Young b Thomson 5

*W J Cronje c Pringle b Hart 112

J N Rhodes b Doull 18

B M McMillan lbw b Pringle 18

D J Richardson c Crowe b Doull 109

C E Eksteen b Hart 22

S D Jack c Murray b Morrison 7

P S de Villiers not out 1

Extras (nb8 w1 lb3 b7) 19

Total 440

Fall: 1-106 2-119 3-125 4-161 5-225 6-271 7-325 8-410 9-429.

Bowling: Morrison 34-7-100-1, Doull 35.2-11-55-2, Hart 54-8-141-3, Pringle 28-5-69-1, Thomson 31-7-65-3.

New Zealand - Second Innings B A Young not out 42

D J Murray lbw b de Villiers 3

A C Parore c Eksteen b de Villiers 34

M D Crowe c Richardson b McMillan 5

*K R Rutherford lbw b McMillan 26

S A Thomson not out 1

Extras (lb4 w1 nb5) 10

Total (for 4) 121

Fall: 1-19 2-63 3-73 4-115.

Bowling (to date): de Villiers 17-7-36-2, Jack 10-3-28-0, McMillan 16-6-29-2, Cronje 7-3-15-0, Eksteen 14-10-9-0.