De Grandhomme leads four wicket raid on South Africa

Wellington (AFP) - New Zealand took charge of the second Test against South Africa as Colin de Grandhomme led a four-wicket raid on the second morning in Wellington on Friday.

At lunch, South Africa were 104 for six, trailing New Zealand by 164 runs with four wickets remaining.

The diminutive Temba Bavuma was not out 15 with Quinton de Kock on two as they battled to restore integrity to the South Africa innings.

De Grandhomme had figures of three for 22 off 11 overs as he removed Hashim Amla for 21 and Faf de Plessis for 22 to go with the prized scalp of Dean Elgar late on Thursday.

Henry Nicholls continued his charmed run in the Test with two critical catches a day after his determined 118 propped up New Zealand's first innings of 268.

Tim Southee, generating good swing, claimed the first wicket on Friday when he removed nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada early in a marathon spell of eight tight overs which cost only 14 runs.

Rabada faced two balls and added one run before he was bowled by a full delivery that swung back sharply to brush the left-hander's pads on its way to the stumps.

Neil Wagner brought Nicholls into the play with an innocuous delivery that JP Duminy, on 16, looked to whip to the boundary but instead it went straight to Nicholls at mid-wicket.

His second catch involved a sharp piece of athleticism from another nothing delivery, this time from de Grandhomme which Amla should have despatched to the boundary.

Nicholls, at short mid-wicket, dived to his left and juggled the ball before grasping the rebound and completing the dismissal as he crashed to the ground.

De Grandhomme then had du Plessis caught behind and South Africa, having resumed the day at 24 for two, were 94 for six before Bavuma and de Kock guided them through to lunch.