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 in Wellington on Friday.

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 leg before wicket attempting to sweep.

Shaun Pollock then had McCullum leg before wicket from the penultimate ball of the day.

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

Cairns's 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 (7) and Mark Richardson (14) fell in the morning session.

Papps was leg before wicket 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.

New Zealand lead the series 1-0.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand first innings
M.Richardson c Boucher b Kallis 14
M.Papps lbw b Ntini 7
S.Fleming c Pollock b Boje 30
M.Sinclair lbw b Boje 74
S.Styris b Boje 1
B.McCullum lbw b Pollock 55
C.Cairns not out 60

Extras (lb-1 b-1 nb-5) 7

Total (for six wickets) 248

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-23, 3-90, 4-97, 5-163, 6-248.

Bowling: Pollock 22.5-1-62-1 (nb-4), Ntini 21-6-63-1 (nb-1), Kallis 7-5-4-1, Nel 20-7-56-0, Boje 19-2-61-3

To bat: J.Oram, D.Vettori, M.Mason, C.Martin.

South Africa: G.Smith, H.Gibbs, J.Rudolph, J.Kallis, G.Kirsten, M.van Jaarsveld, M.Boucher, S.Pollock, N.Boje, M.Ntini, A.Nel.