Kirsten and Gibbs the best opening gambit (13 June 1999)

13 June 1999

Kirsten and Gibbs the best opening gambit

Barry Richards

There are encouraging signs for South Africa as they progress towards the finals. The top order was much improved against New Zealand on Thursday but it must be said the bowling was honest rather than threatening.

Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs produced a measured opening partnership but not without some much-needed luck. Kirsten for once conjured the inside edge past leg stump rather than on to it and Gibbs showed a maturity that has been some time coming. He is quick-footed and a beautiful timer especially on the offside.

He and Kirsten are a perfect match for South Africa. A blend of experience and youthful exuberance, they are also a left and right-handed combination which makes it a little more difficult for the bowlers. They may well hold the key to today's game against Australia especially if Kirsten can eradicate the continuing fault outside his off-stump. Somehow he still manages to get bat and head out of synch, it is a beacon for bowlers and McGrath will go for the jugular. The prospect is mouth-watering.

South Africa's critics have pointed to the lack of consistency at the top of their order but their record is still impressive. Out of the last 20 one-day internationals there have been three bad performances which might give the wrong impression.

Calls for major changes have, quite rightly, been unheeded by team management. You must bat your best players at the top where hundreds win matches and getting Kirsten, Gibbs, Jacques Kallis and Daryll Cullinan, in that order, suggests that coach Bob Woolmer feels they are the most likely to score 100 and need the bulk of the overs to do it. That is sound thinking.

That is not to say you can't be flexible as the situation demands. Against New Zealand, Lance Klusener came in at No 3 with 12 overs to go. It didn't work but the logic was right. On the surface Hansie Cronje, batting at No 3 against the best fast-bowling pair in the tournament (Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram), would have raised the eyebrows of those who follow cricket as it has never been known as his strongest suit. You have to dig a little deeper to come up with the answers. I suggest South Africa are one step ahead.

Kallis is vital to South Africa's success and he has already shown he can play either way in one-day cricket. His 90 against India was a measured knock, occupying virtually the total number of overs allowable and yet, against New Zealand, he posted 50 off just 34 balls to end the innings. Truly a valuable player. How then can he be expected to bowl his full 10 overs, field to a high standard and then pad up straight away to go in at No 3?

It is too much to ask. Enter Cronje, who volunteered to go in at No 3 to enable Kallis to gather his thoughts. That was the plan and again logic prevails. Cronje's style is about asserting yourself. Maybe he felt at the time his troops had not done that sufficiently well in the game against Pakistan. Leading from the front is something he enjoys.

Sometimes the plan does not come to fruition, early wickets have been frustrating for South Africa and just about every other team. But Woolmer is smart, his suggestions seldom come without care and attention to detail.

Cullinan is the enigma. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar and perhaps Mark Waugh, it is hard to imagine a better sight than Cullinan in full flight. He has played breathtakingly at times but still confounds on days which you feel are made for him.

It is he who can provide a solid base, having the ability to occupy the crease or increase the tempo as the situation demands. To date, his record has been modest in this tournament but today's clash may well give him the opportunity to bury a long-held belief that the Australians - and Warne, in particular - can rile him sufficiently to ensure that he will not be a factor in the game.

South Africa have perhaps less to play for than Australia, but these contests are similar in intensity to those between India and Pakistan. Irrespective of points, run rate and all the permutations, a win over the Aussies would give Cronje as much delight as winning the World Cup.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph