New Zealand in South Africa

Happy New Year all - I've been away and quite surprised that nobody's started a thread for this series!

         I made my annual sojourn to Newlands for the 1st test on a perfect Cape Town day - Ideal conditions for batting on a typical Newlands pitch. McCullum called correctly and chose to bat - no surprises there then !  What followed is something I've not seen in over 45 years of following test cricket - a side bowled out 20 minuted before lunch !   Yes , there was some fine bowling , but that was offset with some appalling strokeplay !  The loss of Ross Taylor didn't just make this line up look lightweight , but it obviously took it's toll on the spirit within the side.   In the warm up they looked rather pedestrian (almost West Indian!) compared to the athleticism and enthusiam shown by the home side. The general talk at the ground was that this would only last 3 days (and so it proved) but no-one expected a capitulation on the scale we witnessed.
              After Guptil fell quickly they came and went at such regular intervals that I missed 3 wickets when getting the much needed refreshments in the hot conditions!  45 all out by 12.10 (10.30 start) meant SA would bat before lunch and in that time Smith fell too!   The last test played here was against Australia when 23 wickets fell on a single day - was this to be a repeat ?   The simple answer was no , SA showed why they are rated the best side in the world with some assured batting against a toothless attack. At least the bowlers tried , which is more than could be said for the fielding! Diving over the ball , misfields and awful returns to the keeper - it was all there in a seriously shoddy effort. My gutfeel was they'd roll over in their 2nd dig , but an Aussie in Brownlie made a hundred (albeit after some uncharacteristically poor catching by the South Africans) and did make SA bat again.   Still , the home side won comfortably although it took them a session more than was expected because of the New Zealand resistence on day 3. 
           What can we expect for the test in Port Elizabeth , starting tomorrow?  For starters , SA will win - that's a given. Philander isn't fit but that hardly matters - NZ are so far out of their depth that SA would win with half their side missing!    The pitch is likely to be a slow one but if the weather's decent (and the Eastern Cape has seen a lot of rain recently) 3 days should be enough again.  I expect SA to win by an innings if they bat first.



Edited by Sledger - 10 January 2013 at 7:13am

A comfortable win by an innings and plenty before lunch on day 4 , NZ simply blown away again. All credit to SA , they really are becoming a ruthless killing machine and it's good to see. I think gary Kirsten has a great deal to do with SA's aggressive approach to their cricket nowadays - they take no prisoners and are positive in all aspects of the game. 
             So they consolidate what everyone has to accept - they are the best test side in the world and by quite a margin. Faf du Plessis has been incredible , his performances have shocked me , as I thought him just a decent player in the domestic competitions. He's here to stay and JP Duminy will have been worried that Elgar made a hundred as well in this match - JP will have to work really hard when he returns and score plenty of runs in next season's domestic competitions to get a look in for a test place.  Robin Petersen also impressed me , a much cannier bowler than I gave him credit for and will have earned an extended run in the side.   Amla just goes on and on and surprises when he plays a false shot , nevermind when he loses his wicket!
              I find it hard to find any light at the end of a very dark tunnel for this NZ side.  Sam is right , they miss their established players , but they wouldn't have affected this series , the gulf between the sides was that big.   They play England at home next month and whilst i think they'll compete more effectively , surely they'll lose another series and lose it pretty comprehensively.  

Well I enjoyed the one day series, Kane Williamsons 145 not out was the best one day innings by a NZ'er i've ever seen, I dont think the bowlers had a bad tour and Shane Bonds influence seems to be good. 

Originally posted by Sledger Good perforamce by NZ in the one dayers - I didn't give them a hope of a series victory!  I thought SA were sloppy , but NZ kept the pressure on and were worthy winners.  That should be enough for the English to knwo that the limited overs matches will be close - no excuses for them now!