JOHANNESBURG (AFP)
South African chief of selectors Rushdi Magiet has lambasted his team's bowling performance, opening the door for some surprising changes ahead of the second Test against Australia which starts on Friday, March 8.

It appears that left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby and swing bowler Andrew Hall might benefit most from South Africa's record innings and 360-run drubbing at the Wanderers. Magiet announced a South African A side which he hoped would give the Australians more of a challenge, when the four day match starts in Port Elizabeth on Friday, than the Test selection did this past weekend.

"This whole summer we have struggled to bowl Australia out," Magiet said. "We have to try something else. We need bowlers that can take wickets. Willoughby has taken 34 wickets in the (domestic) Supersport Series this summer.

"Dewald Pretorius has also taken a lot of wickets. Both are fairly quick, move it in the air and take it away from the right-hander."

Although Hall has been replaced by Justin Kemp for this encounter in Port Elizabeth, Magiet said that "Hall was still very much in the frame" following his five-wicket haul in Potchefstroom.

Hylton Ackerman, the South Africa A coach, said last week that a swing bowler would be most effective against the Australians. This was borne out by Hall's medium-paced away swing.

Magiet added that he was concerned at how loose and ill-disciplined the South African attack had been in the first Test and felt that only Makhaya Ntini had fared reasonably well. The purpose of a South African A team has never been fully understood, but Magiet said it rewarded those players in form and created opportunities for younger players.

Three batsmen who have shown form on the domestic scene are Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith and veteran Daryll Cullinan, who is a renowned master of pace bowling. "It was ridiculous how we batted in that Test," commented Magiet. "That's why these guys are playing (in the South Africa A match). They all have a chance of playing in the second Test. But you have to balance it. Gary Kirsten made 150 in the last Test at Sydney. Herschelle Gibbs has made runs and Ashwell Prince did reasonably well in Johannesburg. Do you simply throw them out and replace them? What do you do? You have to debate it all very carefully."

The Test side for Cape Town will be announced at Port Elizabeth on Monday, the fourth day of the tour match.

South Africa A
1 Jacques Rudolph, 2 Graeme Smith, 3 Martin van Jaarsveld, 4 Daryll Cullinan (capt), 5 Hashim Amla, 6 Justin Kemp, 7 Robin Peterson, 8 Gulam Bodi, 9 Thami Tsolekile (wkt), 10 Dewald Pretorius, 11 Charl Willoughby.

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