Former schoolmates Faf du Plessis and Neil Wagner hogged the spotlight from opposing sides of the fence in the second test at Centurion on Sunday.

At tea on the second day SA, who were put in to bat, were 437/6 with captain Du Plessis unbeaten on 95.

Left-arm fast bowler Wagner led New Zealand’s attack with figures of 4/76.

Du Plessis and Wagner attended the same primary and high schools in Pretoria, where they were both born and raised, before Wagner moved to New Zealand in 2008.

Du Plessis has not scored a century in 16 test innings, a dry spell stretching back to his 103 against West Indies at St George’s Park in December 2014.

Wagner claimed his fourth wicket in the sixth over before tea when Ross Taylor at slip held a low catch to remove Stiaan van Zyl for 35.

His next delivery rapped Vernon Philander high on the legs, and while the appeal for lbw was turned down by umpire Ian Gould the resultant review showed the ball would have trimmed the bails.

That meant Philander survived.

JP Duminy wasted a chance to score what would have been his first century in 14 completed innings when was caught behind for 88 off Tim Southee in the 12th over of the day.

For only the second time in SA’s 733 innings in test cricket all of their top five batsmen passed 50. 

But Du Plessis should have been dismissed for 18 when he pulled a delivery from Trent Boult towards the square boundary.

Instead the catch slipped through Henry Nicholls’ hands and the ball plopped over the boundary for six.

Du Plessis has batted conservatively for most of his innings, which has encompassed 205 balls, but he has provided stability in four partnerships - including stands of 71 with Duminy and 84 with Van Zyl.