The fourth limited-overs cricket international between New Zealand and South Africa was postponed on Tuesday because of rain.
The match was rescheduled to Wednesday, when rain and strong winds were expected to ease.
New Zealand leads the six-match series 2-1 after winning the second match at Christchurch by five wickets and the third at Wellington by five runs. South Africa won the opening match at Auckland by five wickets.
The start of Tuesday’s day-nighter was repeatedly delayed because of rain, driven by southerly winds gusting more than 100kph.
Umpires signalled when rain briefly abated at about 5pm that a shortened match might be possible but further showers forced the game’s postponement.
Earlier, South African captain Graeme Smith had won the toss for the fourth time in the series and asked New Zealand to bat.
New Zealand made one change to their starting line-up from the third match, resting medium pacer Daryl Tuffey and giving Michael Mason his first start in a one-day international in New Zealand.
South Africa named Jacques Rudolph in place of Ashwell Prince and Lance Klusener in place of Shaun Pollock, who has a groin injury.
Meanwhile, Lance Klusener is the sleeping giant for New Zealand’s cricket team and he warns he may be just starting to awaken.
Before Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq came along this summer, South Africa all-rounder Klusener was public enemy No 1 for the New Zealand bowlers, but so far in the one-day series his blazing bat is yet to cause havoc.
Klusener, though, insists the magic is still there, that which saw him smash Dion Nash for six in Napier in 1999 and Shayne O’Connor for four in Cape Town a year later — both matchwinning blows off the final ball of the innings.
”Not too bad, it’s just a matter of getting a reasonable opportunity. It’s a bit of a lottery batting 4-5 overs at the end,” Klusener said on Tuesday.
”Hitting at the end is just really a confidence thing. Once you’ve hit one or two you just go from there. If it’s your day it’s your day.”
In the tour opener in Auckland, Klusener wasn’t required to bat, then in Christchurch he was caught in the deep for eight off Daryl Tuffey’s bowling. A back injury ruled him out of Friday’s third match which New Zealand won by five runs in Wellington, but captain Graeme Smith had tipped him to return on Tuesday.
Klusener averages an impressive 43 with the bat from 161 matches at a strike rate of 90, but the average jumps to better than 50 against New Zealand.
Ominously he felt the New Zealand bowling attack of the new millennium was easier to bully than that of the late 1990s when Chris Harris and Gavin Larsen were applying the brakes.
”It was different with Larsen and Harris in the middle. Things were a lot slower and quite difficult to get away. These guys are quicker, and on low slow wickets I don’t think they’ll possibly be as effective as Harris and Larsen were. They’re still a good attack.”
Shaun Pollock, who will miss Wednesday’s match with a groin strain, showed that was possible in Wellington when he hit Kyle Mills for three sixes in the final over.
Klusener has been through a fair share of setbacks in the past year. He was axed after the World Cup, labelled a destructive influence on the team by new captain Graeme Smith, then took legal action against the United Cricket Board for not renewing his contract.
It has all been settled and Klusener returned for the recent series against the West Indies looking fitter than ever thanks to a heavy gym programme.
”I think it rests the mind and the body. The circumstances around the break weren’t ideal but it did recharge the batteries.
”I don’t think the desire’s changed. The time comes you need to change a few things, maybe develop a new shot.”
The big change has been in Klusener’s bowling, now much quicker than a year ago, and he is swinging the ball more.
Klusener (32) admitted he didn’t see Razzaq’s onslaught on the New Zealand bowlers in the last series, which saw him rival Klusener as world cricket’s most feared hitter.
”I just try to do what comes naturally to me. I’ve never watched him much unless we’ve played them.
”I try not to take too much from other people.” — Sapa-NZPA, Sapa-AP