Five wickets to lanky paceman Morne Morkel has left New Zealand struggling at 5-103 at tea on the final day of the third Test against South Africa.

Morkel picked up three wickets after lunch, including two in consecutive balls, to put the tourists well on the way to victory at the Basin Reserve and a 2-0 series win.

Morkel had the remarkable figures of 5-11 off 11 overs.

Kane Williamson was holding the New Zealand innings together to be 58 at the break with Kruger van Wyk on seven and 38 overs left in the day.

After going wicketless in the first innings, Morkel struck twice early in the Black Caps innings, after they were set 389 to win.

Williamson, who had his box cracked by a Dale Steyn delivery early in his innings, enjoyed a charmed life as he weathered a fast bowling assault from the tourists.

He was dropped twice and also had an apparently legitimate catch ruled out.

Alviro Petersen claimed a catch at point but Williamson, who was on seven at the time, failed to walk and the video umpire ruled it was not clear that the catch had been taken cleanly, much to the tourists’ disgust.

Morkel had Martin Guptill caught in the gully shortly after lunch and then returned to bowl Dean Brownlie later in the session.

Daniel Vettori could not keep out another toe-crusher the next ball to give Morkel the chance of a hat-trick, but Williamson saw off the threat.

Earlier in the day Morkel removed Daniel Flynn and Brendon McCullum for ducks to leave the hosts at 2-26 at lunch.

Flynn gloved a rising ball in Morkel’s third over and then trapped McCullum lbw with a yorker in his next over.

Morkel broke Ross Taylor’s arm in the first innings. He is due to undergo surgery on his fractured ulna on Tuesday and he will not bat in the Test.

Earlier the Proteas added 114 to their overnight score in just 14.4 overs to declare on 3-189.

AB de Villiers smashed 68 from just 49 balls as the Proteas batted on to leave the Black Caps 81 overs to save the Test.