Date-stamped : 23 Sep96 - 14:12
Class of '96 learn their lesson

By Vida Tong

Reproduced with permission from The Saturday Star Newspaper

The class of 1996 at the South African cricket Academy finally
learned what it takes to win in the series against the
Australian Academy, as they broke their duck with an eight
wicket victory in their final four-day match at the Wanderers
yesterday. This is according to Clive Rice who heads up the
national academy.  He said his charges learned that great
individual performances can win four-day matches. The
Australians held the upper hand throughout the series, winning
the one-day matches 3-0 and the four-day matches in Durban and
Pretoria by handsome margins. "The guys walked around like
gorillas when they got to Kingsmead and saw the way the ball
bounced and it cost them dearly.  We  don't have spinners who
turn the ball square like the five spinners in the Aussie side
did at Pretoria, but they got it all together here at the
Wanderers," he said. The visitors were overall more disciplined
in their bowling and batting, but their coach Rodney Marsh
summed up their performance at the Wanderers when he said they
experienced a bad day-and-a-half. "It's all about learning, and
when you see the guys playing better and better against the spin
bowlers like in this series, you can see there's an improvement
in their discipline and allround game," said Rice who used
Ashwell Prince's batting performance as an example. "Seeing
Ashwell at the beginning of the Academy and the way he's batted
in this match in particular, getting 72 and 53 not out, you can
see he's a much better player and that's what the academy is all
about," he said. Opening bowler Wayne Kidwell gave an inspired
performance in the match which helped his team win with a day to
spare. After conceding 40 runs from his first four overs in the
first innings, and 20 from his first two in the second, Kidwell
took 8/78 to take his tally to 11 wickets in the match. He
wrapped up the Australian second innings early yesterday by
claiming the scalp of opening bowler Michael Kasprowicz who
top-scored with 58 and bowled last man Robert Hodgson for a
duck. SA captain Doug Watson took a leaf out of the visitors'
book and made his presence felt with an undefeated 126.  He and
fellow-opener Carl Bradfield (52) put on 87 runs in chasing the
victory target of 251. When Zander de Bruyn was caught behind
for eight, Ashwell Prince joined his captain and led the way in
scoring freely off the spinners, and fittingly he hit the
winning runs with his 10th boundary. Watson scored six fours in
his first 50 and added 14 more and a six as he passed the
century mark in his innings off 235 balls. Rice said next year
there will be a greater emphasis on working on the technique of
individuals, and there should be a more stringent selection
process to ensure the players are around for the duration of the
academy. "I'd also like a more balanced squad, maybe a few more
spinners so the guys can genuinely learn to play against the
ball turning," he said.

Source :: The Saturday Star Newspaper

<END> Contributed by Ros Brodie (ros@cricinfo.com)