New Zealand v. Sth. Africa - 1st. Test

[Donny]

Test rivals in verbal war

From correspondents in Hamilton - Fox

SOUTH Africa and New Zealand struck confrontational poses today on the eve of the first Test here.

South African vice-captain Mark Boucher accused New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming of "shooting his mouth off" - and said the tourists are determined to avenge a 5-1 loss in the limited-overs series.

New Zealand coach John Bracewell said his team refuse to be distracted by "mind games" and rhetoric and are determined to disprove South Africa's confident assumption of Test superiority.

"We won't be bullied, it's as simple as that," said Bracewell.

The antagonism between the teams stems from the limited-overs matches, when New Zealand achieved their first series win over South Africa.

Fleming led an orchestrated campaign to unsettle South Africa, particularly young captain Graeme Smith, with provocative onfield behaviour.

The captains clashed openly during the fifth match in Auckland and both Smith and South Africa's form failed as they were drawn into public confrontation.

In a South African weekend newspaper, Boucher expressed the Proteas' resentment of that tactic and said they are determined to atone for poor one-day form.

"If Fleming likes to try to portray this image of a mentally tough sort of guy, that's fine," said Boucher. "But he's tried it in the past against our guys and come off second best.

"It's easy for a guy like Fleming to shout the odds when they are on top. I haven't seen him shout the odds against a South African side for quite some time ... so let the Kiwis make their big statement and try to live up to them."

Bracewell, who was seen as the author of New Zealand's psychological approach to the limited-overs series, denied Kiwis used public statements and their onfield demeanour to "heavy" the tourists.

He is pleased with his team's mental hardness but is guarded about being too confident.

"Our job is just to get on with what we do and see what's at the end of it," he said. "But we are certainly not going to be pushed around."

New Zealand seem likely to take two spinners into the match, in line with speculation the Test pitch, affected in its preparation by heavy rain, will be slow and flat.

In that case, Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman will share the spinning duties.

South Africa were tossing up today between playing three seamers or two spinners, with Andre Nel, David Terbrugge and Nicky Boje vying for one place in their starting lineup.

South Africa's most-capped player, Gary Kirsten, is set to make his 99th Test appearance.

Teams:
New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Michael Papps, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Paul Wiseman, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Michael Mason, Chris Martin.

South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Nicky Boje, Albie Morkel, David Terbrugge.

[Donny]

Proteas to bat in Test
From correspondents in Hamilton
March 10, 2004

SOUTH Africa skipper Graeme Smith again called right and won the toss against New Zealand today, deciding to bat in the first Test.

It was the logical call, with a bare pitch unlikely to give any help to New Zealand's seam attack. And Smith's opposite number, Stephen Fleming, will be disappointed to lose his seventh toss out of eight against South Africa this summer.

New Zealand have included two spinners, left-arm orthodox Daniel Vettori and right arm off-spinner Paul Wiseman, in their XI. South Africa have just one, Paul Adams, with Andre Nel the third seamer after Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock.

The two seam bowlers left out by New Zealand, Chris Martin and Michael Mason, are to travel to Queenstown to play for New Zealand A against Sri Lanka A.

Two debutants will take the field for New Zealand, opening batsman Michael Papps and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

Teams:
New Zealand – Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Michael Papps, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Paul Wiseman, Daryl Tuffey, James Marshall (12th man).

South Africa – Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Rudolph, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Nicky Boje (12th man).

[Donny]

Smith made 25 and Gibbs, 40 before both falling to Vettori.

Kallis took Wiseman for 2 sixes in an over. He's 15 n.o. and Rudolph, 18 n.o. 2/101.

[Donny]

At tea, Sth. Africa is 2/207 with Kallis (63 n.o.) and Rudolph (72 n.o.)
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Without adding to his score, Rudolph was caught behind from Styris. 3/211.

[Donny]

At stumps, Sth. Africa is 4/279 with Kirsten on 31 n.o.

Kallis made 92 and Rudolph, 72.

[Donny]

Kirsten nears his century as Sth. Africa passes the 400.

They're 8/414 and Kirsten is 98 n.o.

What a warrior this bloke has been for the Proteas, He and Steve Waugh are the only two batsmen to have scored a century against every other Test nation.
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Ooops. Ntini gets run out. 9 down with Kirsten still short of the ton.
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Unbelievably, Kirsten takes a single from the first ball of the next over. 99.
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Nel takes a single from the 5th. ball and Kirsten dots the last. Nel gets a single from Vettori and Kirsten gets his chance.

Five nervous dots. Still on 99. Dot.

Nel plays out the over from Tuffey.

Kirsten facing Vettori. Dot. Sweep. 100 !!

[Donny]

Kirsten made 137 and he and Nel added a very valuable 44 for the 10th. wicket. All out 459.

Vettori took 4/158.

[Donny]

Kirsten's 137 puts South Africa in the box seat

The Wisden Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran


Gary Kirsten's superbly compiled 137 illuminated the second day's play at Wespac Park in Hamilton, as South Africa continued to have the better of the opening Test against New Zealand. Kirsten made 106 of the 180 that South Africa added today, and by stumps, New Zealand – who need to make 260 to avoid the follow-on – had progressed to 102 for 2, with Michael Papps having made a hit-and-miss 50 on debut.

All the headlines belonged to Kirsten, and deservedly so. Starting the day on 31, he lost Paul Adams to the tenth ball of the morning, chopping a Jacob Oram delivery back on to the stumps (281 for 5). Neil McKenzie started nervously, and made just 10, before Daniel Vettori trapped him leg before with one that straightened after pitching (305 for 6).

Mark Boucher and Kirsten counter-attacked spiritedly, with Kirsten essaying two powerful square-drives off a wayward Chris Cairns to go past 50. At the other end, Boucher swept Vettori for three boundaries, shots struck with tremendous power and deft placement.

Kirsten, with a reputation for dogged resistance, was forever on the lookout for scoring opportunities, and a charge-and chip over the infield off Vettori, followed by a flayed off-drive off Cairns, signalled his aggressive intent.

It was all getting a bit desperate for New Zealand when Scott Styris lifted their spirits in his second over of the morning. Boucher had progressed to 22 when Styris tempted him to play across the line. He missed, the ball struck the pad, and umpire Steve Davis had little hesitation in lifting the finger (364 for 7).

Shaun Pollock should have followed the very next ball, caught palpably in front by another straight delivery. This time though, Davis didn't uphold the appeal. Then, just before lunch, Pollock had another reprieve. After driving Paul Wiseman handsomely through the covers for four, he attempted a repeat. The edge flew to Fleming at slip, and was put down.

Pollock didn't make the most of the life. Soon after lunch, Kirsten dabbed a delivery from Vettori towards point, and thought about the run, not once, but twice. By the time he decided to send Pollock back, it was too late for him to beat Papps's throw to Vettori (379 for .

Soon after, Vettori watched Stephen Fleming fail to hold on to a difficult chance at silly point off Makhaya Ntini. It was to be a costly lapse, as Ntini – dropped again by Cairns in the deep a few minutes later – gave Kirsten the support he needed to take the total well beyond 400.

Ntini contributed 21, before another needless run-out. His attempt to belt Vettori went off the leading edge to Oram at point, and with Kirsten showing no interest in the run, Ntini found himself stranded mid-pitch (415 for 9). Kirsten endured nervy moments on 99, before a swept single off Vettori got him to his 21st Test century.

Thereafter, the runs came in a torrent. Vettori was taken for 15 in an over – a loft over midwicket, a powerful sweep and a glorious straight six that left the bowler clutching his head. There were also deft cuts when Styris gave him too much width, as he reeled off 37 from the last 21 balls he faced. He was finally out lofting a catch to Papps at backward point – off the leading edge – after another attempt to give Vettori the charge.

When New Zealand came out to bat half an hour before tea, runs were hard to come by, with both Ntini and Pollock giving nothing away. Pollock, in particular, troubled Papps constantly with a probing line of attack outside off stump. Having hit him on the helmet grille with a delivery, he then had to watch Smith juggle with, and put down, a sharp chance to his left at slip.

Papps celebrated the reprieve with two superb cover-drives off Pollock, though there was more than an element of luck about the four that went off the back of the bat as he ducked into another bouncer, bat up in the air like a periscope.

Pollock's spell was duly rewarded when he trapped Mark Richardson (4) in front with one that nipped back sharply (20 for 1). A while later, with the opening bowlers needing a breather, there was a heated argument between Smith and umpire Russell Tiffin, who warned Andre Nel for running onto the pitch just two balls into his spell.

An unnerved Nel then conceded three fours in one over to Fleming, two of them off the edge down to third man, as New Zealand finally shifted out of crawl-mode.

Papps had begun to bat with confidence by then, and two powerful pulls for four, followed by a rapier-like cut off Kallis, gave the crowd something to cheer. When Adams came on to bowl the 28th over, he promptly smacked him through cover and midwicket for two more fours.

Adams, though, was not to be denied. With the first ball of his second over, he had Fleming leg before with a flighted delivery that caught him plumb in front (75 for 2). Fleming made 27. Papps and Styris then saw it through to stumps, with Papps essaying a back-foot square-drive and then edging one for four off Kallis to bring up his 50, and the 100 of the innings.

It was a decent riposte, after Kirsten had ensured that the box seat belonged to South Africa.

[Donny]

N.Z. are 5/224 after 90 overs. Styris ascored 74 and Papps, 59.

Pollock and Kallis have 2 wickets each.

[Ev5Magpies]

I've been watching some of this on Fox today & talk about a snooze fest. Boring cricket at it's greatest.

Great bowling from Sth Africa, but is there any fear of NZ attempting to get on with it???

[Donny]

Ev5, I often remind people just how used to seeing good Test cricket we've become and how well the Aussies play it.

Even in the present Oz/SL 1st. Test where the scoring isn't all that exciting, the game is.

The other teams still seem to take a safety first approach so the Tests can be dull to all but the true enthusiasts.

[Ev5Magpies]

Very true, as you said i guess we've been spoilt by the current Aussie 1 day... err... i mean test team lol...

[Donny]

New Zealand fight on. Oram is 62 n.o. and Vettori, 40 n.o. as they bring up the 400.

With 3 wickets in hand and now only 59 behind, it's looking rather drawish.

[LeonMcS]

NZ 8/422, is there a more boring team than Seth Efrika? I'd rather watch an endless test between Chad and Angola...

[Donny]

What's worse ? Watching this or listening to Jirimy and Smthy commentate ?

New Zealand go to the lead and Oram to 99 n.o. 8/466.
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Oram gets his maiden Test century.
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All out 509. Oram made 119 n.o., Vettori, 53 and Wiseman, 36. Pollock took 4/98 and Kallis, 3/71.