1st Test: South Africa v New Zealand at Cape Town Jan 2-6, 2013

[Hallatia]

lalala
Test cricket - yay! The first test match in terms of commencement date of 2012 will be this one.

There will be a SAf Invit XI v N Zealanders 3 day tour match starting tomorrow

 

[Horrie Is God]

This will probably be very ugly for the kiwis..

 

[Mr Angry]

After all the complaining why was there no boxing test in RSA?

 

[Hallatia]

because of the opposition

 

[Twizzle]

so why were they complaining ?

 

[Horrie Is God]

I'm pretty sure the Seth Efrikan guy who decided they wouldn't play here over Xmas/New Year got the arse & they are negotiating to play us again..

 

[Hallatia]

I'm pretty sure the Seth Efrikan guy who decided they wouldn't play here over Xmas/New Year got the arse & they are negotiating to play us again..

yes and they were complaining because they ought to be entitled to home holiday period and they were willing to negotiate with Australia to have one each. Australia refused. I think both sides were right to take their respective stands, but Cricket Australia should have offered to pay Cricket South Africa to change their stance, or CSA should have offered to for a price, they should still put a price on it

 

[Hallatia]

Peter Fulton out of South Africa Tests
ESPNcricinfo staff
December 29, 2012

Peter Fulton, the New Zealand batsman, will return home because of a knee injury that flared up during the tour match against the South African Invitation XI in Paarl. Fulton batted for an hour and six minutes on the first day and scored 39 but he was limited in his range of strokes. On assessment on the second morning, the injury was deemed too serious for Fulton to stay on.

Fulton was unlikely to play in the two-Test series with Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum set to open the batting. Colin Munro will remain with the Test squad as batting cover.

More to follow ...

Sauce

 

[Horrie Is God]

Lol..

Old Two metre Peter..

Just need to bowl him yorkers..

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Fulton batted for an hour and six minutes on the first day and scored 39 but he was limited in his range of strokes.

That's got nothing to do with the injury

Good news is that this gives the NZ selectors a chance to pick yet another
"All Rounder" who isn't international standard with either bat or ball but gets selected because he can suck a little at both.....or are they all already in South Africa as part of the ODI squad?

 

[Hallatia]

there were a few recent additions to the New Zealand ODI side, so probably

 

[Hallatia]

2 days with no international cricket before this match starts

New Zealanders left with much to ponder
The Report by Firdose Moonda in Paarl
December 30, 2012

New Zealanders 311 for 6 dec (McCullum 65, Ackermann 3-46) and 117 for 2 (Guptill 68*) drew with South African Invitational XI 359 for 7 dec (M Kleinveldt 78, C Martin 2-39)

The New Zealanders gained further time with bat and ball on the final day of their practice match in Paarl but it left them with plenty to ponder. The bowlers only managed one further wicket, and seven overall, which will lead to questions about their ability to bowl a side out, especially as they were up against an XI made up of mostly amateur and under-19 players.

Martin Guptill benefited most from time in the middle but the main concern with the bat was Dean Brownlie who scored just 6 after recovering from a stomach bug.

Of the South African Invitation side, Keegan Petersen who plays for the local Boland amateur team impressed with both temperament and technique to deny a frustrated attack. Petrus Jeftha and Siya Simetu were the wicket-takers with aggression from the former and flight from the latter their stand-out features.

Four overs into the day, the New Zealanders' bowlers found their only success when Chris Martin had Shaun Libisch caught on the leg side. He did not add to his overnight score of 4 but Petersen was piling runs on with ease having survived an lbw appeal off Trent Boult that no-one but the bowler and wicketkeeper were interested in.

It was with his drive through midwicket that the Invitation side overtook the New Zealanders' score. With nothing to assist the bowlers the spinners were left to do the bulk of the work. The only other chance came three overs before lunch when Petersen smacked a Jeetan Patel delivery straight back at the bowler and although Patel got fingers to it he couldn't hold on.

While Petersen racked up runs on one end, Jeftha accumulated swiftly but almost without being noticed at the other. He brought up his half-century with a towering six over midwicket in the penultimate over before the break. The Invitation side declared at the interval to allow the New Zealanders more time in the middle but only Guptill cashed in.

The Test opening pair of Guptill and McCullum put on 63 inside 13 overs with McCullum playing a carefree knock. Playing in such a style it was not a surprise when McCullum, who had made 65 in the first innings, picked out a fielder behind square. It was of no consequence here, but New Zealand will need his shot selection in top order come the Test.

Brownlie was given permission to bat although he was not named in the tourists original 12 because of his illness. With Peter Fulton ruled out of the tour a concession was made but Brownlie did not make full use of his opportunity. He was tentative for the 13 minutes he spent at the crease and given out lbw to Jeftha having faced only 14 balls of competitive cricket before the first Test. He has, however, recovered from the virus which laid him low.

Guptill continued to bat with confidence and his pull shot came out on numerous occasions, while Daniel Flynn accompanied him to the early end when the players shook hands at tea. Guptill was not entirely satisfied with the time he had in the middle and headed straight to the nets, while Kane Williamson, James Franklin and BJ Watling had to be content with one innings.

Sauce

 

[Hutty1986]

Saffas by an innings

 

[Hallatia]

Onus on New Zealand to show fight
The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran
January 1, 2013

Match facts
January 2-6, 2013
Start time 1030 local (0830 GMT)

Big Picture
In the last year, New Zealand have been practically living out of a suitcase, making trips to West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, and now South Africa. The most well-travelled team of 2012 has had more disappointment than joy. A sequence of five consecutive Test defeats started in the West Indies and ended in Colombo, where they recorded an odds-defying win. There were few positives to emerge from the clean sweeps suffered in the West Indies and India. The top order did not contribute enough and was criticised for irresponsibility. As a result, New Zealand's impressive seam attack never had enough runs to work with. Another clean sweep loomed in Sri Lanka after they were vanquished in three days in Galle, but the captain Ross Taylor led by example in Colombo and it rubbed off on his team-mates as New Zealand proved they had the resilience to fight back.

What New Zealand did not need was the internal turmoil that subsequently led to Taylor pulling out of the South Africa tour. With Daniel Vettori out injured, New Zealand are short on experienced hands against the world's highest-ranked Test side, in home conditions. The teams are mismatched on paper, but if one of the seniors can show greater responsibility, the series could get competitive. Much will depend on whether New Zealand can bat for long periods and blunt South Africa's seamers. Setting smaller targets, such as batting out an hour without losing a wicket, will help. They have had the benefit of a warm-up match, but only three batsmen - Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson - made half-centuries.

After lifting the Test championship mace at Lord's, South Africa enhanced their reputation by beating Australia at home. They fought tooth and nail to save the Adelaide Test and then were clinical in victory in Perth. Unlike New Zealand, they have a full-strength side at their disposal. This will also be their first Test at home as the No. 1 team.

Form guide
(Most recent first)
New Zealand WLLLL
South Africa WDDWD
In the spotlight
Kane Williamson may be only 18 Tests old, but is already being identified as a future Test captain. Though not officially the vice-captain, he is perceived as an understudy to McCullum. His temperament has been praised and his 135 in Colombo and crucial partnership with Taylor was an example of that. He is one of New Zealand's better players of spin, but he may not face too much of it in South Africa.

Dean Elgar had a horrific start to his Test career in Perth, making ducks in both innings. Fortunately for him, the selectors have given him another chance. Elgar, a left-handed middle order batsman, will play instead of the under-performing Jacques Rudolph. While the first five positions are secure, of late the No. 6 position has not been. This is a chance for Elgar to nail it down, with the likes of JP Duminy also competing for it. Thami Tsolekile is also in the mix, but for the moment, AB de Villiers will continue to keep wicket.

Team news
With Vernon Philander passed fit, South Africa are likely to play the same XI from Perth.

South Africa (likely): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Dean Elgar, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Vernon Philander, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel

For New Zealand, BJ Watling will keep wicket, relieving that responsibility from the captain McCullum. Dean Brownlie will be Taylor's replacement in the middle order. McCullum hinted at playing an extra spinner for a seamer after seeing cracks on the pitch, meaning that the left-arm spinner Bruce Martin could be in for a debut.

New Zealand (likely): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Dean Brownlie, 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 James Franklin, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Bruce Martin/Chris Martin

Pitch and conditions
The Newlands pitch appeared fairly dark in colour on the eve of the game. It is expected to flatten out from the second day and the spinners will come into play later on.

Stats and trivia
New Zealand have won just one Test in South Africa, since their readmission, at the Wanderers in 1994-95. They went on to the lose the next two, and the series.
Dale Steyn is one wicket away from 300 Test wickets.
Jacques Kallis is 20 away from 13000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid are above him.
Quotes
"The team has taken big steps forward. We've travelled a lot in the last year. It was hostile, it was tough. Hopefully now we can play the same style of cricket in South Africa with home support."
Graeme Smith, South Africa captain.

"We pushed them quite hard in that series and put them under pressure at times. We've just got to make sure we get better and compete for longer in this series."
Brendon McCullum on the previous series between the two, earlier this year.

Sauce

 

[Hallatia]

if Sachin ever retires, I think Kallis will catch him in 2015 if he is still playing then. And I think Kallis will catch him for most test centuries well before then. Could even do it in the Australian tour early next year

Kallis and Steyn on the cusp of individual milestones
The year is set to begin with accolades for two of South Africa's favourite cricketing sons. Having got to the top of the rankings, the team's goal is to ensure they stay there
Firdose Moonda at Newlands
January 1, 2013

When Graeme Smith drove into Newlands Cricket Ground in his white BMW X5 shortly after 9.30am on New Year's Day, he looked like a man who had enjoyed his festive break. The effects of relaxation were written all over his usually serious expression because for the first time in over a decade, Smith spent Christmas Day with his family.

While Smith took the opportunity to enjoy rare time off in the summer, he also used it to reflect on what more he wants to achieve as Test captain. The conclusion he came to was the same one he hinted at from the day he lead South Africa to the top of the rankings: he would not be satisfied with that alone.

In a time when the cricket power base has shifted significantly over small periods, Smith eyes an opening for South Africa to establish an era of dominance. Other members of the squad have said the same and the impression coming out of the camp is that they have their lenses fixed on the bigger picture.

"It's great to sit in team meetings and listen to the guys talk about how they're approaching the year. There is real motivation to be better and not just to sit on our laurels and say we were part of something special and that is enough for us," Smith said. "Everyone wants to be a part of more."

For two players, some of that "more," is likely to come in this Test match. Dale Steyn is one wicket away from joining the prestigious '300-wicket club', of which three other South African bowlers, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini are already part of. And Jacques Kallis is 20 runs shy of becoming the fourth batsman in the world to amass 13,000 Test runs.

While Steyn is the spark in South Africa's bowling, Kallis is the very heart, mind, stomach and head of the Test team. His own body has begun to feel the effects of 17 years of international cricket but he has achieved more than most ever will in that time.

When the 13,000 comes up, Kallis will be the fastest to the mark in terms of number of matches. Cape Town will be his 159th Test, while Rahul Dravid got there in 160, Ricky Ponting in 162 and Sachin Tendulkar in 163 matches. Kallis would have played more innings than Tendulkar in reaching 13,000 and it seems Tendulkar is the only one Kallis cannot catch. With both Dravid and Ponting retired, there is every chance Kallis could pass them both and finish his career as the second highest run-scorer of all time.

Add to that that Kallis is the only one of the top 20 leading batsmen in the world who can be labelled a genuine allrounder and his status as one of the legends is unquestioned. He has often sailed under the radar with pundits reluctant to call him the best allrounder to grace the game but for Smith and South Africa, he is that and more.

"Everywhere we go now he is starting to get the due that he deserves," Smith said. "We hope that he gets even more. He is an incredible player. I don't think many people understand how immense getting to 13,000 runs is. South Africans will hopefully be very proud of him because he has put South African cricket on the map in a big way. He will go down as an all-time great and we can be proud of that."

That Kallis' major milestone will come on his home ground is fitting. Steyn has reason to feel the opposition is a chosen one. He announced himself as a major force on the international stage against New Zealand more than five years ago when he took 20 wickets in two Tests against them in 2007-08. In perfect synergy, Donald, the current bowling coach and one of Steyn's heroes, also took his 300th wicket against New Zealand.

If Steyn nips out his first victim at Newlands, he will become the joint third-fastest to the milestone. Dennis Lillee achieved the feat in 56 Tests and Muttiah Muralitharan in 58. Steyn will play his 61st match to put him level with Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall.

Although Steyn has copped some criticism in recent times over what some see as waning powers, he maintains that it's more a case of him saving the savage spells for when they are most needed. His ability to swing the ball at pace is still unmatched and Smith will continue to rely on him to step up in pressure situations.

"Dale is our go-to guy and he always seems to make an impact for us," he said. "As a captain, he is a real asset to have because I can throw him the ball and I know he will make a play somewhere in the match. When he gets that bit between his teeth, you really start to see things happening and other guys feed off him."

Though the opposition are unlikely to pique the interest of England, Australia or India, the first two days of the match are sold out and Smith said it's this fixture his men most look forward to. "For us, Newlands is the marquee Test match of the year. It's a great atmosphere and we love playing here. The support that we get here is terrific. People wanting to be a part of this Test match is important to us," he said.

Sauce

 

[Hallatia]

for anyone worried about my Australia comment. Yes, the upcoming test series for Australia are as follows: India in India, Ashes in England, Ashes in Australia, South Africa in South Africa

 

[Horrie Is God]

Seth Efrika A would be a sterner test than this kiwi side IMO..

 

[Hallatia]

poor kiwis. I don't think they are entirely useless. They can ignite for a spell. This is just a curtain raiser to the main even which will be Pakistan next month.

But on the subject of New Zealand and what they offer by way of contest. Whilst Australia will play India in India between the end of this tour and the Ashes, England will have one home tour and one away tour both against New Zealand. Having already defeated India in a four match test series and being up to the ODIs once Pakistan are done with them

 

[Horrie Is God]

Playing the kiwis is exactly what Seth Efrika need ATM..

They can give a few injured guys a breather & make sure they are as fit as they can be for the Pakis..

 

[Hallatia]

it doesn't look like South Africa will be giving anyone a breather, not for any test matches anyway. South Africa tend not to rest anyone from any test match. But give everyone breaks from limited overs and tour matches. I like this approach a lot. Test cricket is ultimate, nothing beats time in the middle for preparing you for more test cricket and don't disrespect your opposition