South Africa cricket captain Graeme Smith has defended his decision to give his side only 81 overs to bowl out New Zealand after the home side escaped with a draw in the third Test in Wellington.

Smith opted to bat on for 14.4 overs on the morning of the final day to add 114 runs and take their lead to 389 before declaring.

The Black Caps, reduced to 10 batsmen after captain Ross Taylor broke his arm on the fourth day, survived to finish on 6-200 after Morne Morkel took all six wickets.

“I didn’t think they deserved anything more,” he said after dominating the Test, which was weather-affected on the first two days.

“We gave ourselves an opportunity to win.”

They got through only four balls with the second new ball before the Test was called off, giving the tourists a 1-0 series win.

Smith lamented four dropped catches, including two off Kane Williamson who scored an unbeaten 102, which if held could have changed the outcome.

“If we had held onto our catches we would have got really close to winning the game, but we didn’t.”

Morkel, handed the new ball by Smith after going wicketless in the first innings, finished with career-best figures of 6-23.

“Close but yet so far. It would have been nice to get the last three,” Morkel said.

The 196cm paceman had New Zealand rocking at 5-83 and then pulled off a superb catch to dismiss the pugnacious Kruger van Wyk for 39 to leave the hosts with almost 20 overs to survive with three wickets in hand.

Smith says the 27-year-old deserved his success after a good tour, which saw South Africa win the Twenty20, one-day and Test series.

“He’s bowled superbly well. It was great to see him get his reward today. He’s thoroughly deserved it throughout the tour,” he said.