Cricket: South Africa confident after near-miss

South African cricket coach Eric Simons feels his under-fire bowlers have smoothed over their rough edges ahead of the first test against New Zealand as they went within two wickets of beating Central Districts yesterday.

Set 272 to win off 50 overs in the three-day tour match, Central Districts staggered to 195 for eight at stumps.

Batsman Jarrod Englefield did his bit with an unbeaten 53 off 76 balls, his second half-century of the match, but the hosts were left to block out spinners Paul Adams and Nicky Boje to avoid defeat.

A plus from this game for South Africa was the outstanding form of their test No 6, Neil McKenzie, who backed up his unbeaten century on the opening day with 49 not out yesterday in equally impressive style.

He was the one batsman to prosper as out-of-sorts opener Herschelle Gibbs and veteran Gary Kirsten missed out twice on substantial knocks ahead of the first test starting in Hamilton on Wednesday.

Even more importantly, pacemen Andre Nel and late call-up David Terbrugge pushed their cases for test selection with some sharp spells.

For Simons, it was a welcome sight after the horrors Nel experienced in the one-day series and the general struggles of his pacemen to adjust to New Zealand pitches.

"We recognise this wicket's not at all like the one we expect for the first test but we achieved what we wanted to," Simons said.

"I wanted the seamers to bowl the right lengths and in the last one or two nets there were signs it's getting better.

"Andre's gone past the bat regularly with a guy going forward which is a good sign."

Nel took match figures of three for 70 off 28 overs and probably still has his nose in front as the third seamer behind Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini, although Terbrugge impressed with his accurate outswingers to take five for 60 off 22 for the match.

Nel injured his shoulder throwing from the boundary yesterday but Simons said it would not affect his bowling.

Adams and Boje took some punishment, particularly Boje, and rarely threatened but Simons said it was still an option to play two spinners if the Hamilton pitch was dry and grassless as expected.

South Africa set Central Districts a gettable target yesterday after McKenzie and Boje added 90 for the seventh wicket, Boje hitting 46 before left-armer Lance Hamilton removed him for his fourth wicket.

After Terbrugge reduced Central Districts to 36 for two, Ross Taylor gave them a mighty fright with a remarkable onslaught in one Albie Morkel over.

He went 6, 4, 4, 4, 6 before missing with a huge swing off the final ball to take 24 off the over, one six nearly taking out a window in Central Districts Cricket headquarters and the other crashing into the McKenzie Stand at mid-wicket.

But that was where it ended as Central Districts lost three wickets in four balls, including that of Mathew Sinclair for 17, after his 99 the day before, and Taylor for 35 off 18 balls when he holed out to mid on.

Central Districts were suddenly 83 for five and it was all over, although Englefield and Andrew Schwass added 50 for the ninth wicket, Schwass hitting 37 off 37 balls before being trapped in front by Adams, who ended with two for 25 off 10.


- NZPA