OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 9.00pm.
SOUTH Africa’s cricketers start the long climb to the final of the triangular limited-overs international series anew when they face a hyped England in East London.
The Proteas’ two-wicket defeat on Wednesday to Zimbabwe at Kingsmead has seen them toppled from the top of the log, and they now languish at the bottom, in serious danger of facing exit from the competition.
If the Proteas are knocked out it will be the first time they have not played in the final of a limited-overs series in their home country in almost seven years.
Hansie Cronje’s men face an uphill battle without the services of their long-standing kingpins, Allan Donald, Gary Kirsten and Daryll Cullinan, and will have to make good use of their resources against an England team which has shown that it is more thancapable of taking care of itself.
Darren Gough, Nasser Hussain and Nick Knight are the danger-men, and the two opners showed in Bloemfontein that they are a most lethal combination.
Gough has also reclaimed his form, and his skiddy pace will be right at home in East London.
Left-arm seamer Allan Mullally may also be called in to add some variation to the England attack.
South Africa’s openers, Herschelle Gibbs and Louis Koen, who played well at Kingsmead, need to give their team a firm foundation, as Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener and Mark Boucher cannot be expected to pull the fat from the fire in every match.
The bowling also needs work, and especially the amount of extras conceded needs to be looked at. It is probable that Steve Elworthy will play in the match, plugging up one end while Nantie Hayward can reap from the other.
As things are, the South Africans find themselves under enormous pressure, a state of affairs that certainly will be taken advantage of by England. The locals will have to look to the past and recapture some form if they plan to play in the final.
South Africa:
Louis Koen, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Hansie Cronje (c), Jonty Rhodes, Pieter Strydom, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Mornantau Hayward, Henry Williams, Steve Elworthy.
England:
Nasser Hussain (capt), Nick Knight, Graeme Hick, Vikram Solanki, Darren Maddy, Craig White, Mark Ealham, Mark Alleyne, Chris Read, Darren Gough, Andy Caddick, Alan Mullally.