Date-stamped : 08 Jul94 - 10:25
Preview of the touring South Africans [Excerpts]

The South Africans will be as  uncompromising  and  pragmatic  as
they  were  in  their  recent  ill-tempered Australia series, but
Procter, speaking  with  an  uncharacteristically  dead bat   ...
assured  us  that  his team would not be the first to step out of
line.  The Australians, in the form of Hughes and Warne,  we  all
happily agreed, had started the problems in South Africa.

England are unlikely to begin verbal  hostilities.   When  Kepler
Wessels  was amassing a big Test hundred against England in 1982-
3, Ian Botham suggested to Allan Lamb: "You know a few words   of
Afrikaans;  try  swearing at him."  It didn't work.  Robin Smith,
if he stays in the England team, is unlikely to follow suit.

After two drawn series against Australia, South Africa deserve to
start  as  favorites  in the Test series.  Yet look at their team
individually  and  England  seem  to  have  their measure.    The
batsmen,  with  the  exception  of  Hansie Cronje, all have their
frailties.  Wessels, like Crowe, soldiers  on  with  a   creaking
body,  eking  out  his runs in ungainly style.  Peter Kirsten, at
38, is not so fleet of eye and foot as  was  in  his  prime  with
Derbyshire.

Andrew Hudson has been South Africa's most prolific batsman since
their  return  even though he allows opening bowlers a remarkably
clear sight of the  stumps.   Jonty  Rhodes,  the side's   'sixth
bowler'  because  he saves so many runs in the field, is a quirky
player by Test standards but he does not recognize when the match
is lost.

In a one-day game against Transvaal  he  conjured  the  necessary
seven  runs  off  the  last  ball, swatting a high full toss from
Snell for six.  Once this delivery was  called a  'no-ball'   the
ensuing  boundary was a formality.  Daryll Cullinan is, according
to Procter, 'South Africa's most talented batsman',  but  he  was
haunted by Warne in Australia and his temperament is unproven.

Apart from Allan Donald, the bowling should not be  intimidating,
either. Fanie de Villiers and Richard Snell, who has just arrived
in place of Aubrey Martyn,  were conspicuously  unsuccessful   in
their  brief  forays in county cricket.  Brian McMillan impressed
for Warwickshire, but only as a batsman.

And yet they are a formidable side.  Kent's manager Daryl Foster,
enduring    a  dry  spell  at  Canterbury,  eyes  their qualities
enviously. "They play with emotion; they do not understand   when
they  are  beaten."   He  had  watched  South Africa bowl out the
Australians in Sydney for 111 to win by five runs.   England,  of
course,   have  beaten  Australia  only once  in seven years.  No
wonder the South Africans approach this tour with confidence.

(Thanks : Vic Marks in The Observer, 26 Jun 94)
<END> Contributed by R.Krishna (rkrishna@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)