Chris Martin took two quick wickets as South Africa struggled to 82-3 in their second innings on the fourth day of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Monday.

South Africa were set a target of 234 runs for victory after bowling New Zealand out for 252 just before tea but, after a quick start from skipper Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs (16), were left reeling at 36-3.

Smith and Gary Kirsten, playing his final Test innings, nursed the tourists to stumps. Smith was on 46 and Kirsten 19 after surviving a leg before decision from Daniel Vettori.

Martin had Gibbs, who had earlier smashed him for a six, caught at first slip by Stephen Fleming and then knocked Jacques Rudolph's off stump out of the ground before he had scored.

That made it 31 for two and five runs later Jacques Kallis, went leg before to Jacob Oram for one.

In an abbreviated morning session, which lasted only 30 minutes after overnight rain delayed the start, Chris Cairns and Scott Styris added 50 runs to the New Zealand total.

But Cairns was caught at long-on for 41 by Martin van Jaarsveld as he attempted to loft spinner Nicky Boje for six after lunch.

Three runs later, Styris was caught and bowled by Andre Nel for 73.

Oram and Vettori inched New Zealand along for seven overs before Vettori was snapped up by van Jaarsveld at third slip off Makhaya Ntini for nine.

Michael Mason was run out for a duck by Shaun Pollock going for a third run and Oram was the last man to fall, trapped leg before wicket by Boje for 40.

Boje had figures of four for 69 to finish with a match haul of eight wickets.

New Zealand lead the series 1-0.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand first innings: 297

South Africa first innings: 316

New Zealand second innings (overnight 128-5)
M.Papps lbw b Pollock 0
M.Richardson c Smith b Boje 37
S.Fleming c Boucher b Nel 9
M.Sinclair lbw b Pollock 21
S.Styris c & b Nel 73
B.McCullum b Boje 3
C.Cairns c van Jaarsveld b Boje 41
J.Oram lbw b Boje 40
D.Vettori c van Jaarsveld b Ntini 9
M.Mason run out 0
C.Martin not out 1

Extras (lb-9 b-1 w-3 nb-5) 18

Total (all out) 252

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-42, 3-73, 4-107, 5-111, 6-198, 7-201, 8-220, 9-224.

Bowling: Pollock 22-10-65-2 (w-1 nb-5), Ntini 20-6-50-1 (w-1), Nel 21-5-58-2 (w-1), Boje 33.2-7-69-4

South Africa second innings
G.Smith not out 46
H.Gibbs c Fleming b Martin 16
J.Rudolph b Martin 0
J.Kallis lbw b Oram 1
G Kirsten not out 19

Extras 0

Total (for three wickets, 30 overs) 82

To bat: M.van Jaarsveld, M.Boucher, S.Pollock, N.Boje, M.Ntini, A.Nel

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-31, 3-36.

Bowling: Martin 8-1-30-2, Mason 4-1-21-0, Oram 5-2-6-1, Cairns 5-1-8-0, Vettori 8-1-17-0.