CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP):

South Africa rolled on toward a crushing victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Newlands yesterday as the top-ranked Proteas pushed past the first and maybe last signs of fight from the tourists.

Brendon McCullum and Dean Brownlie made half-centuries and shared a defiant 89-run stand in New Zealand's second innings, but the partnership was broken with McCullum's late exit and the Black Caps finished day two 169-4, still 133 behind South Africa's first innings of 347-8 declared.

New skipper McCullum's 51 and Brownlie's unbeaten 69 - after being dropped twice - did put the top-ranked Proteas on the back foot for the first time in the Cape Town series opener and help take it to a third day, which hadn't appeared likely after the Kiwis were 0-1 in the first over of their second innings after crashing to 45 all out in their first.

Spinner Robin Peterson made his bowling entrance in the Test and ended the McCullum-Brownlie partnership in the late afternoon by removing McCullum lbw, and Jacques Kallis took 2-19 as South Africa had enough in reserve to retain control with a 302-run lead from the first innings.