SA vs NZ: plenty to play for
Brad Morgan
6 November 2007
South Africa's cricket team, fresh from a test and one-day series double in Pakistan, face New Zealand in two tests, three one-day and one Twenty20 international on home soil. Hostilities open on Thursday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
The Proteas are ranked one position ahead of the Black Caps in both the test and ODI rankings – fifth on the test table and second in the ODI standings - but the Kiwis are tough opponents. However, their ranking of sixth in the test standings is somewhat disappointing as they are, no doubt, capable of far better than their ranking indicates.
However, they have had problems against the Proteas on South African soil in the past. In 2005/2006, South Africa dominated the New Zealanders, winning the one-day series 4-0 and the test series 2-0, while the Black Caps managed a consolation win in a one-off Twenty20 match. Obviously, the Kiwis will want to offer a far sterner challenge this time around.
New Kiwi captain
Daniel Vettori has replaced Stephen Fleming, whom many regarded as the best captain in the game, as skipper of New Zealand, but Fleming is still part of the set-up and will offer valuable support to Vettori as he settles into the job.
It's an important series for the Kiwis, while, for South Africa, victories in both the test and one-day series are arguably even more vital for reasons relating to the image of the game in the country.
Earlier this year, when the World Cup took place in the West Indies, the Rainbow Nation carried high hopes that the Proteas would finally break through and claim the title for the first time. After all, Graeme Smith's side had edged ahead of Australia in the one-day international rankings and they were playing with confidence.
However, the team failed to live up to expectations in the West Indies. After big wins over the Netherlands and Scotland, the Proteas faced Australia, the defending
champions, for the first time.
Aussie setback
The Aussies scored a massive 377 for 6, but South Africa didn't seem to be overawed by that demanding victory target and for a good part of their reply they were ahead of the required run rate and cruising at 184 for 1 before Smith had to retire with cramps. From that point on, matters went downhill and South Africa were bowled out for 294, leaving the Australians comfortable winners by 83 runs.
The Proteas then sneaked a one-wicket win over Sri Lanka and drilled Ireland by seven wickets before suffering a shocking setback against lightly-regarded Bangladesh, being comprehensively beaten by 67 runs.
A win by 67 runs over the West Indies was followed by a five-wicket loss to New Zealand, but a commanding nine-wicket victory against England in a must-win contest earned the Proteas a semi-final berth and a rematch with Australia.
High hopes dashed
Once
again hopes were high they they could turn back the Aussie challenge, but South Africa's challenge never materialised as they stumbled to 149 all out, a total which the Australians chased down with few problems to win by seven wickets.
That meek surrender to the eventual winners took a lot of gloss off all the hard work and good results that had taken SA to the top of the ODI standings.
The confidence the South African public had felt in the team was shattered, or at the very least severely shaken, and many theories were advanced about why the side didn't perform up to expectations. Some of them were scathing and featured allegations of unprofessional behaviour.
Chance at redemption
The inaugural Twenty20 World Championships in September, hosted by South Africa, offered the Proteas a good opportunity to repair some of the damage done to their reputation. They made a good go of it, defeating the West Indies, Bangladesh, England, and
New Zealand, but, after doing well, the wheels came off in a bad loss to India.
The Indians posted 153 for 5 in their 20 overs, leaving South Africa with two targets to attain: firstly, the obvious one of 154 for victory and, secondly, a total of 126 which, after the Proteas' previous wins, would have been enough to secure a semi-final place.
It all went pear-shaped, however, in front of a disbelieving and expectant nation as only two players made it into double-figures and SA stumbled to 116 all out.
Four wins and one defeat was as good a record as any of the other teams could boast up to that point in the competition, but it was the manner in which South Africa crashed out which stunned the side's supporters. And, given the Proteas' painful memories from previous World Cups, it wasn't the first time the fans had experienced agonising and inexplicable defeat. It was yet another hurtful loss in a long list of hurtful losses.
Pakistan
tour
The tour to Pakistan, which followed shortly after the Twenty20 World Championships, came at a good time for the Proteas. It took them away from South Africa and the excellent results that followed in a very tough environment were extremely encouraging.
Jacques Kallis, a controversial omission from the SA T20 side, performed brilliantly in the test series against the Pakistanis, hitting three centuries and a fifty in his four innings as he tallied 421 runs at the astounding average of 210.50.
There were also other useful batting contributions from Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Andre Nel, and Paul Harris. In other words, almost everybody chipped in.
Spin bowling excellence
Left-arm spinner Harris, playing a test series for the first time on foreign soil, excelled as he led the South African bowlers with the most wickets, best economy rate, and best
average.
After struggling to find a world class spin bowler for so many years, Harris' performances, against batsmen well schooled in how to play spin on turning pitches, suggests the Proteas' search may finally be over.
He was also well supported by a pace attack that bowled impressively in less than inviting conditions. Dale Steyn bowled South Africa to victory when he captured 5 for 56 in Pakistan's second innings in the first test, while Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, and Kallis also got among the wickets.
It was a complete performance from the Proteas.
Encouragingly, after falling behind 2-1 in the five-match ODI series, Smith and company staged a strong fightback to claim the series 3-2 with a spectacular victory in the deciding match when it appeared as if Pakistan were on the way to a comfortable win.
Strong follow-up required
A lot of good work was done on the tour of the subcontinent, but a strong and emphatic
follow-up to that high-quality effort is required.
The Proteas have an ideal opportunity to capitalise on the success of the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup; SA sports fans love a winner and a convincing, winning outcome against the Black Caps will, once again, bring the supporters flocking back for a seat on the cricket team's bandwagon.
Recent disappointments will be quickly forgotten but, should New Zealand upset the Proteas, all the hard work done in Pakistan will be undone.
Confident
The selectors, at least, appear confident they have found the right combination to carry South Africa in the test series; it is unchanged from the lineup that beat Pakistan, with 107-test veteran Shaun Pollock also included in the 12-man squad.
They have an important job to do. They need to build upon the positive momentum they found in Pakistan, - ahead of a tour by the West Indies - and they also need to continue winning to restore the
improving confidence of the country's cricket fans.
The home series, recent impressive victories, and the timing of the Springboks' World Cup title offer the Proteas a perfect opportunity to recapture some of the hearts they may have lost.
Come to think of it, the Black Caps would surely love to put one over the All Blacks and win against South Africa after the failure of the New Zealand rugby team in France. That sounds like strong motivation, similar in some ways to the Proteas, to capture their public's imagination.
| 
