Classy Composite XI will test Proteas by Fanie Heyns 03 February 2014, 16:59 The Proteas will face a tough challenge during a three-day warm-up game against a Composite XI starting at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Tuesday. The Composite XI will comprise Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Simon Harmer, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw and Stiaan van Zyl, along with the four members of the Proteas test squad who arent included in the Proteas XI for the match. The side is full of potential internationals – six of the seven players were members of the South Africa A team during a successful series against Australia A and India A in the winter of 2013 – and should provide a litmus test of how prepared the Proteas are for the thunderbolts of Messrs Johnson and Harris. The South African team was stunned by Mitchell Johnson during a previous test series in South Africa in 2009, and many observers reckoned the Proteas were undercooked and lacked intensity during the early part of that series. Graeme Smith and his troops are wary of another Johnson-led Australian series win caused by a mediocre start to the series by the Proteas. The nine days is purely about us being ready for the series, Smith said in an overcast Johannesburg on Monday. Three days would have left us a little bit under-cooked, specifically because we have had a lot of T20 cricket in the last month. Our goal over the next nine days is to make sure that when we hit day one at Centurion we are in a frame of mind, mentally, physically and skill-wise that, whatever we do, we can do it well.” Smith also stressed that there is no pressure on the player selected to fill the vacancy left by Jacques Kallis, and believes that there is enough talent to fill the gap left by the 166-test veteran. There is an opportunity for a few players to put their hands up, Smith said. Whether it’s a batter, an allrounder or a bowler, those are the decisions that will be made as we get closer to that first test. I hope that the players that are going to get this opportunity see it as that, he continued. It’s an opportunity for them to stake their claim, get their peg in the ground for hopefully a successful international career for them. De Kock recently became only the fifth international player to score three successive centuries in an ODI series when he smashed three straight tons against India. He hammered 379 runs at an average of 42.11 for the struggling bizhub Highveld Lions during their RAM SLAM T20 Challenge campaign. Reeza Hendricks (317, average of 45.28) was almost as prolific for the Chevrolet Knights, while Rossouw also showed his class at the top of the order with 217 runs at an average of 34.25. Rossouw averaged 46.40 in the Sunfoil Series, but the undoubted batting star in the domestic four-day competition is Van Zyl, who has scored 456 runs at an average of 91.20 for the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras batting at No 3. As a swing bowler, Beuran Hendricks captured 27 wickets for the Cape Cobras during the domestic T20 showpiece. He finished with 11-63 for South Africa A in the second match of the India A tour of South Africa, while offspinner Harmer finished with 18 wickets during the A- series against Australia A and India A in the winter of 2013. Expect the Composite side to ask some probing questions of the South African team over the three days. The names of the remaining four players are yet to be released, but it’s possible that Dean Elgar, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren and Thami Tsolekile might be asked to feature against their fellow Proteas. The match will also provide definite answers about the health of the so- called walking wounded players, AB de Villiers (after a hand operation), Dale Steyn and Faf du Plessis (shoulder injury). The match might also provide the answer as to who will succeed Jacques Kallis in the role of holding bowler. Russell Domingo, the South African coach, has already named Du Plessis as the number 4 batsman for the series. But who will bat at No 7 and fulfil the role of fourth seam bowler as back-up to the world-class trio of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morné Morkel? Currently, according to insiders, Wayne Parnell is set to get the nod ahead of Chevrolet Knights allrounder McLaren. In his previous first-class game for the Warriors, Parnell grabbed eight wickets to set up a comprehensive win against The Unlimited Titans. Another superb performance by Parnell at the Wanderers could just remove any lingering doubts about his inclusion for the first test against Australia starting on Wednesday February 12 at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Johnson captured 37 wickets in the recent Ashes series as Australia white- washed England 5-0. Harris was the best of the support cast by taking 22 wickets. Even in defeat in England in the South African winter of 2013, Harris was impressive by taking 24 wickets. Therefore the warm-up game at the Wanderers is shaping as a critical element in preparing Graeme Smith and his men for Australia.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:38:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015