Pride at stake for SA A
Source:
Supercricket - September 12, 2002
What the senior Australian team did to South Africa last
season is being repeated by their A team as the sides
move to Buffalo Park for the fifth game of the series
Friday with the Aussies 4-0 up.
All South Africa A has left to play for is
pride, but it has been a bitterly disappointing series so
far for them. Their batting has let them down badly, with
only Northerns's Martin van Jaarsveld and Ashwell Prince
of Western Province really succeeding with the willow.
The Australians are a
well-drilled, professional outfit - something to be
expected from any team represented that country - never
giving an inch and utterly determined to force victory.
They certainly held
their nerve in the dying moments of Wednesday's match at
The Wanderers when South Africa looked like winning,
eventually falling only 10 runs short.
Their captain, Justin
Langer, a seasoned Test opening batsman, has given their
side a good start consistently, while in contrast the
opening partnerships have been a huge failure with SA A.
Perhaps Andrew Hall, who
has tasted success as an opener for the Proteas in the
past, could be used, along with the promising Jacques
Rudolph of Northerns, who deserves another chance after
his low score on Wednesday.
A strong point among the
visitors has been the pin-point accuracy of medium-pacer
Brad Williams, a powerful-looking bowler, who has managed
early break-throughs throughout the series and has the
knack of coming in at the death and taking vital wickets
during the last four or five overs.
Test batsman,
left-hander Simon Katich, and fellow southpaw Michael
Hussey have been pillars of strength in the middle order
for Australia.
With South Africa
desperately seeking the right combination for the World
Cup, the batting of SA A skipper, Neil McKenzie, has been
disappointing.
He must get runs in East
London to restore lost confidence. It is the venue where
he scored his highest limited-overs international score
of 120 not out against Sri Lanka two seasons ago.
The weather, however,
could have the last say. Heavy rains over the past two
weeks have softened the ground but the new drainage
system, installed last April, has done its job admirably.
Two water-collecting
units will arrive from Johannesburg Friday morning to
help with the removal of excess surface water and the
curator of the stadium,. Greg Dreyer, is confident the
game will start on time.
"The weather bureau
has forecast a 40 per cent chance of rain but if there's
no rain in the morning we should get a game," Dreyer
said Thursday.
"I can promise you
that without the new drainage system this game would have
been abandoned two or three days ago," he maintains.
A much more confident
and improving SA A team must win this match. Pride is at
stake.