Gibbs earns A team cap

Bloemfontein: Greg Smith has joined the long queue of Northerns rejects which the national selectors have made a habit of ignoring until it is almost too late.

In the 1950s it was Jackie Botten, in the late 1980s and early 1990s it was Tertius Bosch and Fanie de Villiers and later Steve Elworthy with Smith, in recent years, hovering in their sights only to have his credentials as a left-arm fast bowler ignored for whom they feel, in the word?s of Rushdie Majiet have a ``bright future''.

Naturally Majiet said that he and the other selectors ``are more than happy with the depth of talent among the fast bowlers in the country'' which was no doubt the sort of appeasement policy they decided to adopt when they announced the South Africa A side to play Sri Lanka A at Centurion?s SuperSport Park next week.

Which suggests that Smith, if the selectors run true to tradition with Northerns players might have to wait until his is 30 before he gets a ``compensation cap'' for a tour of little importance.

What the selectors have done, to cover themselves for the looming England series, is to give Herschelle Gibbs a run along with David Terbrugge as the bowler they are obviously looking at should one of the top four break down.

Which is fair enough. But the selection of Shafiek Abrahams comes as a surprise while the Border captain and all-rounder Pieter Strydom finds his place in the team and Mornantau Hayward seems to be preferred to Smith.

The captain remains as Dale Benkenstein and Mark Bruyns retains his place while a spot has been found for Neil McKenzie.

The side is: Dale Benkenstein (capt), Mark Bruyns, Herschelle Gibbs, Neil McKenzie, Ashwell Prince, Pieter Strydom, Nic Pothas, Shafiek Abrahams, David Terbrugge, Mornantau Hayward, Victor Mpitsang. Twelfth man: Doug Watson.