South Africa hope to reign without the rain at ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup

South Africa's current crop of young players will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the fate that befell their predecessors the last time the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup (ICC U/19 CWC) was held in Sri Lanka, in 2000.

Six years ago the Proteas arrived for the tournament with a powerful batting line-up that included future Test captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph and looked capable of mounting a significant challenge.

But when rain washed out all three of their first round matches while it relented to allow other teams in their group to play at least once, they found themselves missing out on the Super League stage of the tournament.

South Africa were relegated to the Plate competition and although they won that event, beating Bangladesh in the final, that was only a minor consolation to Smith - the top run-scorer in the tournament - and his team mates.

This good news for South Africa this time around is that they should have less reason to worry about the weather. This ICC U/19 CWC is taking place almost a month later than the one in 2000 and February is traditionally one of the driest months in Sri Lanka.

It means the players can devote all their concentration to the job in hand - playing good, winning cricket - and that focus will be essential because South Africa have a tough job just to get into the Super League.

They find themselves in one of the toughest first round groups, Group B, as they have been drawn with 2004's losing finalists the West Indies along with Australia, the 1988 and 2002 winners, and tournament newcomers the United States of America.

And as only two sides go through to that Super League stage from each group it means at least one Test-playing side from Group B will be left with plenty of disappointment after the tournament's opening week.

South Africa will be hoping it is not them and they have plenty of reason for optimism despite modest form in the lead-up period.

They may have finished fifth out of the six teams in action in last November's Afro-Asian U/19 Cup in Vishakapatnam (they won just one match, their opening encounter against Zimbabwe), but they still possess several extremely talented players.

That fact was shown up not only in India but also during the U/19 Cricket Week in South Africa in December 2005.

One of the side's leading batsmen is likely to be Brett Thompson. The right-hander from Eastern Province (EP) made 71 against Northerns and 116 not out against Free State, one of only four individual hundreds during that Cricket Week.

Plenty will be expected of Thompson and plenty, too, will be expected of captain Dean Elgar. A left-hander from Free State, he was a consistent performer in the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup and made 81 against EP and 99 against Border in December's domestic action.

Elgar can also bowl left-arm spin (he took 4-17 against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland in one match) and he is one of several players who may be expected to fill a slow-bowling role for the side.

The captain is joined in the spin department by fellow left-armer Jean Symes and off-spinners Mafinki Serame and Richard Das Neves and that means the Proteas have plenty of options, something that could stand them in very good stead on what may prove to be spin-friendly pitches.

Symes comes into the tournament off the back of some impressive form in the Cricket Week. He took 5-21 for Gauteng against EP and also returned figures of 1-14 in nine overs against eventual tournament winners Western Province (WP) after earlier scoring 68 in the same match.

Other batsmen to look out for include Pieter Daneel (the Proteas' leading player in the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup), Romano Ramoo, vice-captain Richard Levi and wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter.

The pace attack will probably be led by right-arm fast bowler Craig Alexander. He is the only member of the squad with previous ICC U/19 CWC experience after playing in the 2004 event in Bangladesh and he is also one of only two players with first-class experience (Symes is the other).

Alexander will be supported by fellow WP pace bowler Malusi Siboto, who also impressed in the Cricket Week, Mthokozisi Shezi and Wayne Parnell, an accurate left-armer, amongst others.

If South Africa do make it through as one of the top two sides in their Group then things are unlikely to get any easier for them as they will probably then face either the hosts Sri Lanka or the tournament favourites India in the Super League quarter-final.

Both sides beat them heavily in the Afro-Asian U/19 Cup in November but this is a new tournament and Elgar and coach Ray Jennings, who this time last year was in charge of the senior side, are unlikely to allow any negative thoughts to hang around for long.

The South Africa squad is: Dean Elgar (captain), Richard Levi (vice-captain), Craig Alexander, Pieter Daneel, Richard Das Neves, Craig Kieswetter, Grant Makoena, Wayne Parnell, Romano Ramoo, Mafinki Serame, Mthokozisi Shezi, Malusi Siboto, Jean Symes and Brett Thompson.

Manager - Jay Naidoo, Coach - Ray Jennings, physiotherapist - Terry-Jill Malherbe, Technical Advisor - Anton Ferreira.

The ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup 2006 will take place between February 5 and 19. 16 teams are scheduled to play 44 matches in 15 days at five different venues in Colombo.