Daryll Cullinan, the elder statesman of South African batting, and tyros Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph will all welcome Steve Waugh and his touring team in the South African A side's three-day game against Australia starting in Potchefstroom on February 17.

Cullinan, who missed South Africa's tour to Australia but has run into form during the latter part of the South African limited overs season, Smith, the leading run scorer in the Standard Bank Cup, and Rudolph, who has still to play an official Test match for his country, represent probably the best of South Africa's batting outside the current touring squad and each has a point to prove to the national selectors.

While Cullinan's omission from the party in Australia was widely expected, he still nurses a burning desire to prove himself against the toughest opponents in world cricket. Rudolph, meanwhile, was pencilled in at number three for the first Test in Adelaide before the selectors succumbed to an attack of nerves and played Boeta Dippenaar instead. Rudolph was then chosen for the third Test but omitted following the intervention of United Cricket Board president Percy Sonn. Smith, meanwhile, has simply forced his way into contention by weight of runs.

If anything, this match should demonstrate that South African does have some batting depth in reserve, but seems a shade thin in bowling where Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel will share the new ball supported by Andrew Hall and spinners Claude Henderson and Gulam Bodi.

The team

Dale Benkenstein (KZN captain), Gulam Bodi (KZN), Daryll Cullinan (Gauteng), Andrew Hall (Easterns), Claude Henderson (WP), Charl Langeveldt (Boland), Andre Nel (Easterns), Ashwell Prince (WP), Jacques Rudolph (WP), Graeme Smith (WP), Thami Tsolekile (WP). Twelfthman Arno Jacobs (North West).

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