| The rain is a real pain
Thursday, 15 November, 2001 Despite the joint distractions of swimwear parties and the golf course, BBC Sport Online columnist Neil McKenzie sees rain hamper his preparations for the second Test against India in Port Elizabeth. I'm coming to you from PE, the site of the landing of the 1820 British Settlers into South Africa, where our preparations for the second Test match against India have not gone quite according to plan. The weather has played havoc on our practise schedule and having arrived on Wednesday, we have only seen the inside of the indoor facilities at the stadium for the past two days. This is not ideal preparation for a Test match, but excuses aside, we can count ourselves luckier than the Indian team. Both their warm-up games, one in Durban and the other this past weekend in East London, were abandoned with no play possible due to rain. All the guys are in good spirits at the moment and the rain has certainly not put a dampener on the excitement or morale for Test cricket. The wicket, not to be too negative, looks like a seamer-friendly pitch with a good green grass covering and a bit of moisture too. This is because of the persistent rain over the past two days, not to mention a heavy storm on Wednesday night. Obviously, this will make batting a little bit more interesting. A positive attitude and shot selection will be the key. All in all, I think it will make for a great Test match, especially if the Bloem Test is anything to go by. A day off is always welcome when playing Test cricket. This was courtesy of an early finish in Bloem on day four. Most of the guys got home early having phoned ahead to book their tee-off times on their home golf courses. If I hit the cricket ball as badly as I hit the golf ball this weekend, then I think I will have to take up 10-pin bowling. But who can moan about being on the golf course, spending time with a couple of good mates, breathing fresh air with no fast bowler trying to decapitate you. And obviously a few beers in the 19th don't hurt at all. Besides the golf, I had a most interesting week, practising in the nets and putting the hours in at the gym on most days. But I also put some time aside for a few social events. The Sports Illustrated Swimwear party turned out to be an absolute cracker. Star treatment in the VIP section led to drinks at the right price and many of the swimwear beauties to ogle and admire. No doubt the evening flew by too hastily for us cricketers, who always behave like true scholars and gentlemen, although the same can't be said for some of the rugby guys who were there. "The Fizz" (physio Craig Smith) certainly had an interesting weekend, massaging the thighs of Anna Kournikova and Amanda Coetzer during their tennis challenge weekend. Word on the street is that Anna offered him a job full-time with her on the tennis tour. But he declined the offer due to his unwavering commitment and overwhelming support to the team....fat chance! Until the next time, this is Neil McKenzie from PE for BBC Sport Online. |