Hard-hitting South Africa cricket allrounder Lance Klusener says the tourists are all but reduced to sleepless nights trying to find an elusive weakness in Stephen Fleming’s game.
Fleming’s influence on the series was clear after his masterful 108 in Christchurch on Tuesday and he looms again as New Zealand’s key man in the third match here at 2pm Thursday with the series at 1-1.
The New Zealand captain has scored two matchwinning centuries from his last three innings against South Africa and Klusener admitted it was starting to become a headache.
”I think we’ll just have to run him out,” Klusener said.
”He certainly had a good run against us and we’re going to have to think long and hard and decide what we’re going to do. He’s batting superbly.
”He’s held them together the last couple of games, certainly it’s an issue for us to try and do something. We’ve seen enough of him I’m sure we can come up with something. If we can nick him out early it might change a few things in the way we play it.”
New Zealand, with Fleming, Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns playing welcome roles, turned the series on its head after South Africa won in equally convincing fashion in the first match last Friday.
While the six-match series is well and truly alive, whether Thursday’s day-nighter gets under way at all was still in the balance on Wednesday.
Heavy rain in Wellington has put groundsman Trevor Jackson in a race against time to get the ground ready. Cold air driers, drainage spiking and replacement turf have been used to get the ground ready after rain and the scars from Saturday’s David Bowie concert at Westpac Stadium.
The pitch, which was flooded after rain seeped under the covers on Monday, is unlikely to be as friendly as that used for the 600-run thriller against Pakistan last month.
Klusener, who said he was the coldest he’d ever been on a cricket field on Tuesday, said the weather and pitch conditions were taking some adjusting to.
”Suddenly coming here in terms of wickets it’s a lot slower, so it’ll take a week or two to get used to it.”
Klusener is one of several world-class South Africans who are yet to fire in two games — the others are Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock who remains wicketless in his bid for five more wickets to reach 300 career scalps.
That may mean ominous signs for New Zealand who need Fleming, Cairns, McMillan and in-form spinner Daniel Vettori all standing up. New Zealand coach John Bracewell was anxious not to talk Fleming up too much but continued to marvel at his work ethic.
”I’m impressed with the way he works on his game and trying to continually evolve his game and take it a step forward. He practices his batting as hard as I’ve ever seen someone practice his batting.”
Bracewell, reflecting on the best performance of his coaching reign, said the experiment to elevate Brendon McCullum to No 3 might continue, depending on how the early overs went. McCullum was dismissed for two on Tuesday trying to push the scoring rate.
”It’s really about making Hamish Marshall and Michael Papps more comfortable in the environment by splitting them,” Bracewell said.
Both are seeking their first big score of the series after two misses.
Bracewell also hinted at a change Thursday, with key paceman Daryl Tuffey possibly resting a knee problem and Michael Mason poised to come in.
Teams:
New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Michael Papps, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey, Michael Mason.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Nicky Boje, Robin Peterson, Albie Morkel, Ashwell Prince. – Sapa-NZPA