Williamson falls as South Africa apply pressure in 2nd Test

Wellington (AFP) - Kane Williamson again fell cheaply as South Africa ramped up their dominance in the second Test against New Zealand on day three in Wellington on Saturday.

At lunch, New Zealand were 55 for two, still 36 runs in arrears after the South African first innings closed at 359 in the third over of the day.

With Williamson removed for one following another low score by Tom Latham, New Zealand were 26 for two, leaving Jeet Raval and debutant Neil Broom to try to get them out of the hole.

Raval was on 21 and Broom, who went for a duck in the first innings, was faring better with an unbeaten 20.

Williamson, on whom so much depends in a New Zealand side and even more so without Ross Taylor for support, failed for a second time in the match when he was caught behind for one.

The New Zealand batting ace is ranked the world's second best Test batsman behind Australia captain Steve Smith but his form has deserted him in Wellington.

South Africa's Morne Morkel (C) celebrates with team mates after New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson was caught on day three of their 2nd Test match, at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, on March 18, 2017

In the first innings he was lbw for two, and in the second he feathered Morne Morkel to Quinton de Kock on the sixth ball he faced.

The touch was so faint it eluded umpire Kumar Dharmasena but it was detected by the "hotspot" technology.

Opener Tom Latham faced 15 balls before he went for six to go with his eight in the first innings and 10 in Dunedin.

South Africa resumed the morning at 349 for nine and added a further 10 runs in three overs before Jeetan Patel shut them down when he bowled Morkel for 40.

Patel had a chance to end it with the fourth ball of the first over but wicketkeeper BJ Watling was too busy appealing for a non-existent catch that he overlooked Morkel was out of his crease and a stumping chance was missed.

Vernon Philander, who joined Morkel in a record 10th wicket partnership for South Africa against New Zealand of 57, was not out 37, two runs short of becoming the sixth South African to complete the 100 wickets and 1,000 runs Test double.