Records are made to be broken -some just break more easily than others, reports Neil Manthorp in Auckland
Animal rights activists will be happy with calls to ban any repeat of the heartbreak pitch on which South Africa’s bowlers toiled in the first Test at Eden Park.
Glue, after all, is made from boiled cow and horse hooves, and it was glue that was spread on the playing surface before the Test match began.
In the absence of victory, or any prospect of one, the Test will be remembered for Daryll Cullinan’s record-breaking 275 not out and for Geoff Allott’s bizarre but highly humorous world record duck. Cullinan batted for eleven hours, Allott for 101 minutes.
Only in cricket could a man who did so little, for so long, claim to have done more for his team than a man who did so much, for so much longer.
Hansie Cronje made no bones about the reason, other than the pitch, that only three wickets were claimed on the last day: “In that situation it is up to the spinner to take as many wickets as possible. There was enough wear and tear for Paul [Adams] to use and I think he’ll be disappointed that he didn’t turn it more and take more wickets,” the captain said afterwards.
The fact that he felt able to criticise Adams at all is a very good sign. Ray White’s dreadful statement (criticising the racial balance of the one-day side) before the Test hurt Cronje deeply, but he remains a cricketer first and foremost, not a politician. He has made no secret of the fact that he will not do the job if he cannot treat his players likewise.
Cronje, in fact, hardly blamed the pitch at all. “You can’t expect to have surfaces that help the bowler all the time. It was a pretty good pitch. There was enough there for us to have won, but we’ll have to work on Paul [Adams] getting a few more revolutions on the ball.”
The home side didn’t quite match South Africa’s first-innings total in their two innings combined, and yet Cronje admitted they won some psychological points on the last day.
Nicky Boje, the second spinner, came nowhere close to starting this match. Was that wrong?
Boje is no Stuart McGill, but then Adams is certainly no Shane Warne. As Cronje said, it would have been very interesting to see what either of those players would have done on the last day as Auckland’s glue finally began to dry and crack. The team chosen was the right one, even in hindsight.
But if the second Test were to be played on a similar pitch, the tour selectors (Cronje, Bob Woolmer and Shaun Pollock) would have to bite the bullet very hard . and then fire it (temporarily) in the direction of Lance Klusener, wonderful player though he is.
Fortunately, the second Test is being played at (glue-free) Lancaster Park, Christchurch, scene of South Africa’s thumping seven-wicket win in the second one-dayer earlier on tour.
That pitch, though, has a history of providing helpful seam movement on the first couple of days before gradually flattening out into a slow but dependable batsman’s friend. If Allan Donald and Pollock don’t do a job early, then Adams might be exposed again.
It happened at Old Trafford against England. In the second innings of the third Test, when the game was there for him to win, Adams bowled 51 overs and took 1-90. It happened again in Auckland where he took 1-96 from 30 overs.
It might happen again. It’s not a direct criticism of Adams; as Cronje rightly says, he’s still learning, but on slow pitches where pace is negated, South Africa are badly missing a potent spinner.
Until they find one, or until Adams develops, they will always be slightly one-dimensional . and Australia will remain unchallenged as “all-surface” champions.
No matter. There was, and is, plenty to feel good about. The top six batsmen now rank behind only the Indians and Australians. Gary Kirsten is back where he belongs, just a single run away from averaging 40.
Herschelle Gibbs – “I’m not a natural opener but I’m learning fast and really beginning to enjoy it” – is on the verge of a breakthrough.
Kallis, Cullinan and Cronje are part of the foundations and Jonty Rhodes has averaged 50.5 in his last 11 Tests. Even Pollock found form at Eden Park with his first 50 in 12 Test innings.
There isn’t one weak point that New Zealand feel they can attack, not one area in which they are confident of ambushing their opponents. There is, though, one rather significant sanctuary into which they believe they can retreat for safety and comfort. And a draw.
On slow pitches, they can see off the vaunted pace attack and then play with Adams in the manner a kitten does having cornered its first mouse. Pat it, bite it, pat it, bite it . but don’t quite kill it.
Not having much bite with the bat, Geoff Allott just patted it when he batted. And what a duck he patted.
When the stadium announcer informed him of his feat, the 26-year-old had the humour to raise his bat in acknowledgement and grin broadly, though sheepishly.
South Africa have suffered much more than their share of lengthy tail-end partnerships in recent years (back to the absence of a quality spinner again), but this time, to their everlasting credit, they did not brood; they applauded the moment. South African teams have a reputation for being hard and uncompromising. For that they have earned our respect.
This time, Cronje smiled, and applauded, and his team did, too. For that they deserve our affection.