Cricket: Struggling ND to face might of Proteas

1.00pm

A classy South African cricket team arrived in Hamilton today to play a Northern Districts team enduring one of their worst seasons for years.

Fresh from demolishing the West Indies in a home series, the Proteas start their seven-week tour of New Zealand with a one-day match tomorrow at Westpac Park.

At first glance the game appears a bit of a mismatch -- one of the best teams in the world against the State Shield wooden spooners with a record of one win, nine losses and a washout this summer.

Meanwhile, South Africa contain names like prolific batsmen Jacques Kallis, captain Graeme Smith and dashing opener Herschelle Gibbs as well as star allrounders Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener.

But for one of the few occasions this season five Black Caps will take the field for Northern Districts.

All will be anxious to perform with the six-game one-day series series starting in Auckland on Friday.

The South Africans will also have to adapt to New Zealand conditions and they seem to have taken to heart a comment by New Zealand coach John Bracewell about the pitches being different.

"It's probably going to be a little bit slower, probably take a bit of turn -- your coach hinted that last night," Smith said soon after the team's arrival in Auckland.

"Maybe it's one of the advantages of playing at home. It's about having conditions to suit yourselves and that's what touring is all about. It's about adapting to the conditions."

Northern Districts coach Bruce Blair, who has been criticised for his side's performances this season, made it clear it was no "friendly" game.

"We will be playing with the desperation that we played with in the State Shield. It's not a festival game for us -- we want to win.

"It's been well documented that we've had a disappointing one-day campaign so far. It's also an opportunity for the Black Caps to prepare against a side they are going to be playing in a few days and an excellent chance to get the upper hand."

There's speculation that with the first one-day international later this week the South Africans will name as close to a top squad as possible.

But there are suggestions from inside the camp that key players such as Pollock and Kallis may be rested while seamer Andre Nel has a groin injury and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson an abdominal problem.

Northern Districts: Robbie Hart (captain), Daniel Vettori, James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Joseph Yovich, Grant Robinson, Matthew Hart, Bruce Martin, Graeme Aldridge, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler, Mark Orchard.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener, Albie Morkel, Mfuneko Ngam, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph.

- NZPA