WELLINGTON, 27 March 2004 — Mathew Sinclair, playing in a Test match for the first time in 10 months, hit 74 to help New Zealand reach 248 for six at the close of play on the first day of the third Test against South Africa yesterday.

Brendon McCullum also chipped in with 55 while Chris Cairns made an unbeaten 60 after the home team were put in to bat by South Africa skipper Graeme Smith.

Sinclair, whose previous Test appearance was in Sri Lanka last May, was called into the side as a late replacement when Craig McMillan went down with food poisoning.

The Kiwi middle-order batsman, who made 214 on this ground against West Indies in December 1999, struck several glorious cover drives and two sixes over long-on off Nicky Boje.

But left-arm spinner Boje, who finished with figures of three for 61, had the final say when he trapped Sinclair lbw attempting to sweep.

Shaun Pollock had McCullum lbw from the penultimate ball of the day.

“If you get an opportunity you’ve got to make the most of it,” said Sinclair, who scored 99 and 17 for Central Districts against South Africa in the tour match in Napier before the Test series began.

“They bowled pretty well. Pretty much right throughout the day they bowled challenging ones and for me anyway, it was just a waiting game to be honest,” he said.

Sinclair and McCullum put on 66 runs for the fifth wicket before McCullum and Cairns shared a partnership of 85 for the sixth.

Cairns’ 60-ball half-century followed on from his 158 in the second Test.

Earlier, Boje had New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming caught at slip by Pollock for 30.

Fleming’s dismissal brought second-test centurion Scott Styris to the crease but he was soon bowled by Boje for one.

Openers Michael Papps (seven) and Mark Richardson (14) fell in the morning session.

Papps was lbw to a Makhaya Ntini yorker while Richardson was caught behind by Mark Boucher slashing at Jacques Kallis.

Kallis bowled a tight spell to take one for four in seven overs, with five maidens, before leaving the field with an abdominal strain.

South Africa had arguably their best day in the field on tour. Their bowlers hit the right lines from the first delivery and Smith later said he was happy with their efforts.

“We bowled damn well today. We stuck to it the whole day and I reckon we’ve got a slight advantage,” Smith said.

New Zealand lead the series 1-0.