Mathew Sinclair, playing in a Test match for the first time in 10 months, hit 74 to help New Zealand [ Images ] reach 248 for six at the close of play on the first day of the third Test against South Africa [ Images ] in Wellington on Friday.

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

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

The Kiwi middle-order batsman, who made 214 on this ground against West Indies [ Images ] 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 [ Images ] 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 [ Images ] caught at slip by Pollock for 30.

Fleming's dismissal brought second-Test centurion Scott Styris [ Images ] to the crease but he was soon bowled by Boje for one.

Openers Michael Papps (7) and Mark Richardson [ Images ] (14) fell in the morning session.

Papps was leg before wicket to a Makhaya Ntini [ Images ] yorker while Richardson was caught behind by Mark Boucher [ Images ] slashing at Jacques Kallis [ Images ].

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.