Trevor Chesterfield reviews South Africa's test season (31 Mar 1998)

31 March 1998

South Africa's test review

Trevor Chesterfield

Centurion (South Africa) - For Hansie Cronje the spoils of victory counted more this past test season than his failure to score a century. Sure he would have liked to reached three figures but, with his Free State fast bowling partner, Allan Donald, the game is about winning and counting the cost later.

Yet even Cronje is the first to admit the results of a long, hard test programme spread across three continents, involving four teams and amounting to only four victories, was far from great.

"We won in Pakistan, so we cannot forget that acheievement. So few teams manage a victory that to win a test, let alone a series, is a good sign we are getting where we want to be," he said.

"We know we are not the best in the world, but we always strive to be competitive," he added.

Although South Africa won the series 2-0 against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Centurion on Monday with a six-wickets victory, partly based on Cronje's own one-man assault, the South African captain pointed out the side had beaten Pakistan away and levelled the series 1-1. And but for dropped catches in Adeliade the spoils in Australia would have been shared.

What it means is that the success rate in 11 tests is slightly less than 37%: certainly not the figure of a successful side. A victory at Adelaide Oval would have bumped the figure to 45.45%, which is getting closer to what South Africa would have been aiming for when the programme started back in October.

And through it all, especially in the two series at home, Adam Bacher's failure to find the sort of form needed by a test batsman not only led to his firing, but also his credibility. He wasn't the only player to feel the breeze of change which has been fluttering through the system in a demand for more development faces in the ranks.

Test careers which ended are those of Fanie de Villiers and most likely Andrew Hudson, along with Brian McMillan and Brett Schultz; those which began belong to new heroes: Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini, HD Ackerman and Gerhardus Liebenberg.

Yet there must now be doubts whether the way young Ackerman attempted to play Muttiah Muralitharan on Monday was the form of a batsman who has just broken Barry Richard's record of most runs first-class runs in a domestic season. He was as transfixed by the off-spin as a mouse would by a cobra.

Daryll Cullinan has for the moment, shaken off the phobia about his inability to play spin; or to be more precise Shane Warne. He handled Muralitharan with accomplished ease at Newlands and Centurion. And throughout he unwapped the positive stokeplay so essential in handling spinners.

Amid all this Cronje and coach Bob Woolmer have done what they could to develop and rebuild a new side from the remnants of the team which had toured Australia in 1993/94 and England in 1994. Not at all easy with politicians suggeting the dropping of a player through lack of form or a plain lack of suitability is a racial act.

Only as South Africa prepare to end this season with the Standard Bank Triangular series there remains question marks over several players and where they are likely to fit in national slectiors thinking.

One name missing on Monday when the side for the ODIs was announced was Dale Benkenstein. Many were convinced, indeed the indications were that Benkenstein would be in the squad. So much for hot inside info.

The young Natal captain might yet pick up a trip to England; unless he has been marked down as leader of the South African A side to tour Sri Lanka in August and September.

Which is where the selection problems may become cluttered with finding the right mix after Dr Ali Bacher's comments in Port Elizabeth last month that no more all-white teams were acceptable in terms of UCB policy.

Peter Pollock, chairman of the national selection panel, has confirmed the A side for Sri Lanka would be the next best available after the selections had been made for England.

Which, bearing the new policy in mind, could see a few interesting names heading for Sri Lanka while those expecting to go will be left behind, sad, frustrated and wondering what it's all about.

Yet through it all, the amazing skills of Donald and his 49 wickets in nine tests this season, displays the sort of consistentcy South Africa need if they are to achieve the success levels of a match-winning team.

Trevor Chesterfield Cricket writer Pretoria News tche@ptn.independent.co.za