South Africa prepares for fourth test success

The selectors may have generated some expected political flak for not rushing in a team made up of several inexperienced players who would have embarrassed themselves and the country and contributing toward a possible . defeat, but Brian Lara, the West Indies captain was quite adamant he would prefer to play South Africa's ``best available side''.Naturally the hamstring injury which saw Walsh carried out of Kingsmead on a stretcher, his left hamstring badly injured, it was yet another chapter of injuries which has seen the demise of the great Carribean duo where Walsh hunted with Curtly Ambrose.

What it means is that Nixon McLean is likely to be paulled in and with Ambrose also doubtful, the sight of the new-look Windies bowling attack, headed by Franklyn Rose and also including Mervyn Dillion, is likely to emerge at a Newlands which is no longer leafy and where the empty gleaming white chairs on match days in the members stand is an embarrassing eyesore. Then again, if you believe in dictum that defeat offers the solution to victory then you are operating on the same wavelength as Cronje and the South African coach Bob Woolmer. For them South Africa's impressive performance against the West Indies is seen as a direct backlash to the 2-1 defeat in England earlier this year.

While the West Indies mull over their 3-0 drubbing in the five-match test series and with two matches still left to play and the knowledge they need to do something about their tardy image, South Africa are now looking forward to their first possible 5-0 series triumph and the solid colour rinse instead of a white wash.

Lara, his side vanquished by the comfortable margin of nine wickets with a day and almost two sessions to spare, put on yet another brave face and admitted that South Africa were the stronger side.

For Cronje, however, the fruits of victory were developed from the ashes of defeat in England where South Africa, after leading 1-0, lost the last two tests and were stung by some horrendous umpiring decisions at Headingley in Leeds. From that experience Cronje said ``we're a proud team and it (the series defeat) hurt deeply''. Woolmer, quick to support his captain, agreed that ``our perforamance in this series can be attributed to losing to England''. Looking more than pleased with the perfoarmces of the first three tests, Woolmer added that ``you can say that our success against the West Indies is a backlash to what happend in England.''

He qualified the comment with the view that South Africa had played better than England but had lost because of crucial lapses of form and concentration. Against the West Indies, South Africa was now ``nailing down the opposition''

Cronje's view about the remaing two matches is the same as it was before the series started.

``We still have 10 hard days ahead of us and our approach has not changed. We set our goals and knew we had 25 hard playing days ahead of us.''

Cronje praised the efforts of the South African players and how the side had developed a ``special character during the hard times'' while pointing out that rejuvenation had started first in Malaysia (the Commonweath Games) and then Bangladesh (the Wills Trophy).''

As for the match starting here on Saturday the only problem in the South African camp is whether Lance Klusener, recalled to the side, is ready to play instead of David Terbrugge. The theory that South Africa should play a five-pronged pace attack is possibly a little off beam; going into a test without a spinner is not a wise move at all.

Lara on the other hand reflected at Newlands yesterday, how injuries to key players in the first two games of the series had affected their performances.

``But we have to put our defeats and the disappointment of losing this series behind us and think about the series against Australia (at home) and then the World Cup,'' he said.

``We know, however, that we have to perform better in the two remaining matches and get back some of our pride.

``What I want to say, however, we have lost to a highly committed South African side. Their bowling and fielding has been outsanding. It is as simple as that,'' he added.

Teams

South Africa (from): Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Pat Symcox, Gary Boucher Allan Donald, David Terbrugge, Paul Adams.

West Indies (possible): Philo Wallace, Junior Murray, Brian Lara (captain), Shavnarine Chanderpaul, Carl Hooper, Darren Ganga, Ridley Jacobs, Nixon McLean, Curtly Ambrose, Franklyn Rose, Rawl Lewis, Mervyn Dillon.

Umpires: Rudi Koetzern and Sriniva Venkataraghavan. TV umpire: Dave Orchard.

TV: SABC 1 and DSTV