Live updates: Blackcaps v South Africa, first test, day one at Christchurch

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11:58am - 13 overs

Southee into his seventh, van der Dussen faces. Don't expect de Grandhomme to be far away.

Southee works him outside off, before van der Dussen gets off strike with a leg bye to the fifth ball of the over.

Markram to face the last ball of the over. He defends and gets a single to point.

SA 25/2

11:54am - 12 overs

Jamieson into his second over, van der Dussen on strike. 

Van der Dussen defends into the off-side and steals a single to cover-point. 

Markram faces up, and this time he gets a beauty from Jamieson! That's twice in two overs his outside edge has been beaten. 

One run from the over.

SA 23/2

11:50am - 11 overs

Southee stays on. Markram faces.

Huge play and miss to a wide delivery third ball of the over, Southee finding some away movement to the right hander. 

Beats him! Southee comes up with a peach that Markram plays all around but misses through to Blundell. 

Maiden over.

SA 22/2

11:46am - 10 overs

First bowling change of the day, Kyle Jamieson replaces Henry. Markram on strike, Jamieson still averages less than 20 with the ball...

Full to start, and Markram gets forward to defend. Full and straight next ball, and Markram turns the ball out to square leg for three runs. 

Erwee on strike to Jamieson. 

WICKET! And he gets him first ball! Short of a length and moving away from the left-hander, taking the edge straight to Daryl Mitchell at first slip! Erwee goes for 10, Rassie van der Dussen comes in at No.4.

Van der Dussen faces his first ball, and pushes a single to cover to get off the mark straight away.

Markram returns to strike, and he gets a single to point. 

Van der Dussen to face the last. He can't get his bat out of the way, and steers the ball to slip. No run.

SA 22/2

11:39am - 9 overs

Southee for his fifth over of the morning. Erwee on strike.

Huge lbw appeal as Erwee leaves the last ball of the over! Umpire says not out, and Latham calls for the review. Is it hitting the stumps? It's not. Good decision in the end.

Maiden over.

SA 17/1

11:34am - 8 overs

Henry for another over, Markram faces.

He finds the outside edge second ball, but Markram plays with soft hands as the ball rolls along the ground to the third man boundary.

Henry goes short and Markram inside edges back onto his body. Excitement from the Blackcaps, but Markram survives.

Markram bats out the over.

SA 17/1

11:30am - 7 overs

Southee to Erwee.

Southee goes short second ball, and Erwee gets back to pull the ball very fine for the first boundary of the day. Good shot.

Southee comes around the wicket and gets huge shape back into the left-hander, but Erwee leaves it alone.

Four runs from the over.

SA 13/1

11:26am - 6 overs

Henry to Erwee.

Too full first ball, and Erwee punches through mid-off for two runs down the ground.

Lbw appeal next ball! Erwee leaves it alone and is struck high on the front pad, but probably too high to trouble the stumps. Henry's making things happen so far.

Full again with ball five, and Erwee drives the ball out to cover for three runs.

Markram on strike, one ball to come. And he defends.

SA 9/1

11:23am - 5 overs

Southee to Markram.

Lbw appeal first ball, but heading down leg. NZ don't review.

Southee goes too full with the fourth ball, and Markram works the ball through midwicket to get underway with two. 

Two runs from the over.

SA 4/1

11:19am - 4 overs

Henry continues. Erwee faces. 

Starts full, Erwee drives with no timing. No run. 

Erwee is happy to leave the ball across him, before Henry sends down a bouncer fourth ball that is evaded.

Erwee sees out a maiden.

SA 2/1

11:15am - 3 overs

Southee to Erwee, over the wicket.

Shape away, but the leftie leaves it comfortably. Same result second ball, third ball swings down leg and Erwee misses with his flick shot.

Southee goes back to outside off, Erwee is tempted but leaves at the last second. Full with ball five, and Erwee flicks the ball off his pads for a single out to deep square leg for his first test run.

Markram takes strike with one ball to face, and he leaves.

SA 2/1

11:11am - 2 overs

Who takes the ball from the other end? Henry and Jamieson the contenders. It's Henry, over the wicket to Elgar.

Henry starts with a yorker, Elgar keeps it out. 

WICKET! Henry strikes in his first over! He nips the ball across Elgar, who reaches for the ball as it takes the edge through to Southee behind the wicket! The South African skipper goes early! Elgar out for one, Aiden Markram replaces him.

Markram takes guard, two balls to come in the over. Wide outside off to start, and Markram leaves. One ball left, and Markram defends to point.

SA 1/1

11:06 - 1 over

Green pitch, cloudy skies. Bowling conditions, what can Southee do first up? Both sides also take a knee for Black Lives Matter before the first ball.

Southee around the wicket straight away. 

First ball swings down leg, Elgar plays and misses as Blundell dives to take it cleanly. Straight from Southee to follow, Elgar defends. 

Third ball is full, and Elgar gets forward to defend again. Young moves into short leg, as Elgar defends ball four. 

Elgar gets off the mark with the fifth ball, pushes a single into cover.

Erwee to face the final ball of the over, his first in tests. Southee hits him on the pad from over the wicket, but missing leg stump.

SA 1/0

11:00am

Right then! Dean Elgar takes strike for the first ball of the series. Tim Southee will open up with the ball for New Zealand.

10:58am

Anthems done and dusted. Tom Latham leads the Blackcaps' huddle - he's already had his first victory today, winning the toss for the first time as test captain.

Elgar and Erwee, on debut, make their way to the middle to open up.

10:53am

Both sets of players prepare to make their way out to the middle for the anthems.

First ball less than 10 minutes away.

10:39am

Colin de Grandhomme has won the selection race for the Blackcaps' all-rounder spot, with the rest of the team as predicted.

NZ: 1-Tom Latham (c), 2-Will Young, 3-Devon Conway, 4-Henry Nicholls, 5-Daryl Mitchell, 6-Tom Blundell (wk), 7-Colin de Grandhomme, 8-Kyle Jamieson, 9-Tim Southee, 10-Matt Henry, 11-Neil Wagner.

South Africa meanwhile have two debutants, Sarel Erwee will open the batting, while Glenton Sturrman replaces Lungi Ngidi, out with a back injury. Zubayr Hamza comes in at No.6, with South Africa not playing a spinner. Aiden Markram drops to No.3 to fit Erwee in.

SA: 1-Dean Elgar (c), 2-Sarel Erwee, 3-Aiden Markram, 4-Rassie van der Dussen, 5-Temba Bavuma, 6-Zubayr Hamza, 7-Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8-Marco Jansen, 9-Kagiso Rabada, 10-Duanne Olivier, 11-Glenton Sturrman.

10:35am

News from the middle, Tom Latham has won the toss and the Blackcaps will bowl first!

We'll have the final XIs shortly.

10:05am

Good morning! We're just under an hour away from the start of play at Hagley Oval.

We're yet to get a final look at the pitch for this first test, but you probably won't need three guesses to work out what colour it'll be...

We'll bring you the toss, and confirmation of the playing XIs as soon as possible.

*****

Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the first test between the Blackcaps and South Africa from Christchurch's Hagley Oval.

After salvaging a series draw against Bangladesh, New Zealand face South Africa in the summer's marquee series - with history looming for the hometeam.

The Blackcaps have never beaten South Africa in a test series and may never have a better chance again. New Zealand are unbeaten in home series since 2017, with their last defeat coincidentally coming against South Africa.

But if they are to create history, they'll need to do it without nearly 300 caps missing for this test at least. 

Captain Kane Williamson is still missing with a troublesome elbow, while Ross Taylor has retired from test cricket altogether. Trent Boult is missing for this first test, preparing to welcome his third child.

Henry Nicholls will move up to No.4 in the batting order in Taylor's place, while Daryl Mitchell will come in at five. Matt Henry has been all but confirmed to replace Boult, leaving only the all-rounder's spot up for grabs, coming down to either Rachin Ravindra or Colin de Grandhomme.

This series is vital for the Blackcaps' defence of their World Test Championship title, with defeat almost certainly ruling them out of reaching this cycle's final.

After a few lean years as a test side, South Africa are on the rise. Led by Dean Elgar, the Proteas arrive, after a stunning comeback series victory over India.

The key cog in that series - Keegan Petersen - is missing from the No.3 batting spot, after testing positive for COVID-19.

But South Africa will be boosted by the almost certainly bowler-friendly conditions, deploying a four-pronged pace attack similar to the Blackcaps, led by the outstanding Kagiso Rabada.

TAB odds: New Zealand $1.75, South Africa $3.60, draw $4.05.

Teams (predicted):

NZ: Tom Latham (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner.

South Africa: Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi.