David Leggat: Ramming home their advantage

48 HOURS

Okay, it's honesty time.

Hands up all those who really, truly believed New Zealand would have dominated the South African cricketers in the manner they have over the past month.

First there was the one-day series, which produced five successive wins against a tired, uninspired Proteas team, who well before the end had been out-manoeuvred, out-passioned and outplayed.

Then we were told - by feisty wicketkeeper Mark Boucher among others - "wait until the tests start". We're still waiting.

At Hamilton in the first test, South Africa positioned themselves to take charge, then had their grip completely removed by a New Zealand batting effort full of resolve, quality and skill.

Eden Park on Saturday was not about pulling New Zealand back into a contest; it was about sticking two fingers up at those who still doubted the ability of Stephen Fleming's men to ram home a promising position with the authority we are used to seeing from, well, South Africa.

Four batsmen were responsible, and a relevant point is that Fleming and the invariably pragmatic and reliable Mark Richardson were not among them. The work this season has been spread through the lineup.

Several years ago a reporter was chewing the fat with then New Zealand coach Steve Rixon as an Academy XI team were playing an international side at Lincoln on the outskirts of Christchurch. Scott Styris, then a medium pacer and useful batsman, was in the middle.

"So whaddya reckon about this Styris, Steve? Do you reckon he'll finish up a batter who bowls or a bowler who bats?"

The hard-nosed former Australian wicketkeeper narrowed his eyes the way some people do when they're pondering a curly question. Then, about a second later, he said: "A batter, and he'll be good."

Strangely enough, Styris was in the process of clubbing 69 that day against ... South Africa. On Saturday, having completed his third test hundred the previous afternoon, he moved on to make New Zealand's highest test score against South Africa.

His technique has its unique aspects, he's still prone to the odd woolly swish, but it works superbly for him. At 28, he's in his prime and, having won a one-dayer against Pakistan on the same ground with a thrilling century at the start of the year and then propped up New Zealand at Hamilton with a valuable 74 a week ago, he's enjoying a summer to savour.

Craig McMillan will have relished his sensible 82 because it would have given those who question his right to be in the side something to choke on.

But the real story of the day came later as Chris Cairns and Jacob Oram toyed with the South African attack in pocketing the seventh-wicket record stand against any country, 225 in only 40.5 overs.

The statistics tell a vivid story of the plunder in the afternoon sunshine: Cairns 158 in 171 balls, 18 fours, seven sixes; Oram 90 in 134 balls with a 9/3 split. It was a little over three hours of savagery.

Both are big, strong men who are not especially fond of the sharp single. Stand and deliver was their modus operandi. This was all uppercuts and left hooks, spectacular stuff rather than the effective but less eye-catching jab and prod.

There is something special about players who have the ability to hit a long ball. It lights something in the imagination of the fan.

No matter his form at the time, there is still an air of expectation when John Daly addresses the ball on the tee. Spectators hold their breath in anticipation of seeing something beyond the scope of their imagination.

Babe Ruth became the most identifiable figure in pre-World War II America solely for his ability to whack a baseball into the crowd more often than anyone.

Baseball purists will tell you he was not the greatest hitter ever.

They might argue a decorated Korean War fighter pilot called Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox - who by general consent possessed the sweetest swing of them all - was the finest.

Williams was undeniably a great ball player, the last man to have hit over .400 in a major league season - in cricket terms we're talking Bradmanesque figures here. But the Babe hit the long ball and that's what counted.

Now there are those with an eye on the future who would have seen a certain symmetry to the Cairns-Oram partnership. The old hand showing the way to his heir apparent as the No 6/first or second change seamer, the passing of some invisible baton and so on.

But that presumes Cairns is at the end of the road. The cricket obituary should be put on hold.

Certainly, as he approaches his 34th birthday, his best years are behind him. But having got his game back together after a bumpy couple of years when he was injured more often than fit, there was no indication at Eden Park that he's about to reach for the zimmer frame.

South Africa's bowlers looked disinterested long before the end, but even so they're no Bangladesh.

So more power to the men with Popeye forearms - the veteran and the tyro.

* * Quote of the weekend from Herald columnist and Sky TV rugby analyst John Drake.

As the Crusaders pressed the Chiefs line at a maul on Saturday, Andrew Mehrtens - in many ways a rugby colossus but a genuine flyweight in most of rugby's hard yards departments - piled in to help.

Commentator Tony Johnson: "Mehrtens has gone in there to help."

Responded Drake: "That'll be a lot of use."

HIGH POINT

New Zealand's batsmen at Eden Park. Slaughter in the sunshine.

LOW POINT

The Crusaders lineout against the Chiefs. At times it looked like hooker Corey Flynn would have had more luck playing pin the tail on the donkey. Still they won ...