South Africa hold the whip hand in their three-test series against New Zealand after rounding off a nine-wicket win by mid-afternoon on the third day at Seddon Park.
Having dismissed New Zealand for 168 in their second innings, they knocked off the runs required for the loss of opener Alviro Petersen, finishing on 103 for one to go 1-0 up with one test to play.
The kingpin was seamer Vernon Philander, who won the man of the match award with his six for 44 today giving him overall figures of 10 for 114 for the test.
New Zealand had started the day at 65 for four, still trailing by three runs. There was brief defiance from Dan Vettori and wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk. But once van Wyk shouldered arms to Philander shortly before lunch the end came quickly.
The one shining light was Kane Williamson, who grafted admirably in reaching 77. But on a pitch which gave seamers some help throughout, New Zealand needed at least another 100 to give themselves a fighting chance.
New Zealand captain Ross Taylor believed the batting problems were a mix of fine bowling and ordinary work by his batsmen.
''I think you've got to give credit to Philander," Taylor said.
''He put the ball in the right areas and when you can swing it away and reverse it in, it does become tough on batsmen. They put pressure on us throughout the whole time once again."
Taylor was left to rue those periods in the test - notably when South Africa were 88 for six on the second day, responding to New Zealand's first innings 185 - when an advantage was not capitalised on.
''We didn't ram it home and put South Africa under more pressure.
''But you know they played very well and they taught us how to play test cricket on what was still a pretty flat wicket."
Despite the dispiriting nature of the loss, with two full days not required, Taylor maintained his team are still in ''pretty high spirits".
''As a team we're not very far away," he said.
South Africa already have the world's No 1-ranked bowler in speedster Dale Steyn, but Philander, who has now taken 45 wickets in his first six tests at a remarkable 13.6 apiece, earned high praise from his captain.
''If he keeps going the way he is then he'll get there pretty soon," Smith said of the No 1 ranking.
''It's terrific because they all work together and they know their roles but they all want to be successful in their own right, egging each other on," he said of Philander, Steyn and the third seam bowling musketeer, Morne Morkel.
That 88 for six situation was ''a bit squeaky" for the South Africans, Smith said.
''But we found another gear when it was needed but obviously we'd like to perform at that high level throughout."
The third test starts in Wellington next Friday. An unchanged South African side would be a fair bet, but New Zealand are sure to make changes when their squad is revealed tomorrow afternoon.
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