Cricket: NZ to tour amid drama of fixing row

By RICHARD BOOCK

Tours to South Africa have historically been accompanied by a fair amount of drama for New Zealand cricketers, and the early signs indicate that little has changed for this year's expedition.

Even as the itinerary was announced yesterday, the South African Cricket Board was busying itself with the preparations for the King inquiry into match-fixing allegations, and ended the day threatening to delete relevant statistics from its official record-books if any charges were upheld.

New Zealand will play six one-day internationals and three tests in the two-month-long tour, which will begin on October 18 with the customary one-dayer against Gauteng in Soweto, and end on December 12 with the third test at Johannesburg.

The one-day series will be played first, allowing New Zealand to continue in 50-over mode after the mini-World Cup is staged in Kenya from October 3 to 15.

New Zealand first visited the Republic in 1953-54 on a tour made famous by the heroics of Bert Sutcliffe and Bob Blair during the second test at Ellis Park, and then returned in the 1961-62 season to score their first test win on foreign soil.

Their most recent effort in South Africa was in the 1994-95 summer, when - apart from having three players suspended for smoking pot - Ken Rutherford's tourists became the first side in more than 100 years to lose a three-test series after winning the first match.

Whatever happens with the King inquiry, the New Zealanders are unlikely to come up against former captain and middle-order batsman Hansie Cronje on this year's tour, and there seems to be doubt also over the future of Nicky Boje, Pieter Strydom and Herschelle Gibbs.

However, convener of selectors Ross Dykes is not expecting South Africa to pose any less of a threat if Cronje and company are banned, and predicted New Zealand's assignment would still prove to be one of the most difficult in the game.

"There's an adjustment needed for things like the high veld, the climate and the travelling, but the biggest danger on this tour remains the strength and quality of the opposition," he said.

"South Africa's strength lies in their bowling attack and in their allrounders."

New Zealand coach David Trist agreed the itinerary was demanding but said it was balanced and preceded by an excellent build-up, which included a short ODI series in Singapore, and a tour of volatile Zimbabwe comprising three ODIs and two tests.

Trist, who spent seven seasons coaching first-class cricket in South Africa, expressed satisfaction that his side would hit the Republic "running" - although whether this was a reference to match-practice or the possibility of having to flee Zimbabwe war veterans was not completely clear.

"The fact that before we get to South Africa the team will have played in Singapore, Zimbabwe and Kenya will more than balance the five-month rest the players have had over the winter," he said. "We learned a lot in the recent series against Australia and while South Africa will be very tough at home, we've got a side which is growing in strength and has every chance of succeeding."

South African tour: October 18 v Gauteng, Soweto; October 20 v South Africa, first ODI, Potchefstroom; October 22, second ODI, Benoni; October 25, third ODI, Centurion; October 28, fourth ODI, Kimberley; November 1, fifth ODI, Durban; November 4, sixth ODI, Cape Town; November 7-9 v Boland, Paarl; November 11-13 v North West, Potchefstroom; November 17-21, first test, Bloemfontein; November 24 v Border, Alice; November 25-27 v Border, East London; November 30-December 4, second test, Port Elizabeth; December 8-12, third test, Johannesburg.

* Umpire Steve Dunne's error-ridden performance in the third test against Australia in Hamilton last month has not cost him a place on the international panel.

National umpiring manager Brian Aldridge said Dunne, of Dunedin, and Aucklander Doug Cowie had again been nominated by New Zealand Cricket as its two representatives on the panel.