Every week Geoff Boycott updates his site with fresh views on the world of cricket. Don't miss it.

Ones to watch in South Africa

Posted on | October 26, 2009 | No Comments

Geoffrey Boycott runs his eye over the men who will play the leading roles against England in South Africa this winter.

The key batsmen for South Africa are going to be Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Jean-Paul Duminy.

Kallis is on a par with Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting as one of the best three players in the world and if you’re going to beat South Africa you’ve got to get him out cheaply or he’ll go on very serenely to make big scores. He’s technically correct with no real weaknesses and as a tall lad if you bowl short at him he can get on top of the ball and takes a big stride when he plays forward. He’s a consistent scorer with over 10,000 Test runs at an average of 54.51 and that’s real quality.

Smith, the captain, leads from the front and is a big factor in the side. Pugnacious, mentally very strong and with a big heart he’s up front and doesn’t back off. He doesn’t look pretty with the bat because he tries to work everything to the leg side but he can be very, very effective. He’s awkward to bowl at because if it’s straight he plays to leg and that makes bowlers bowl a little wider of off stump. Anything short he shows how good he is at the cut shot.

A guy who’s a bit underrated is AB de Villiers, a batsman who doesn’t shout and carry on but goes quietly about his business. He’s good at the cut and the pull, strong under pressure, in top form and a terrific lad to have in the side.

Jean-Paul Duminy is the new kid on the block and deservedly got rave reviews for his performances in Australia where he batted fantastically well. A typical left hander, he’s strong off his legs and fluent through the off side on front or back foot. He proved he stays calm under pressure when he came into the side after Ashwell Prince was injured before the first Test in Australia in November 2008 and played a major part in the Proteas winning Down Under.

Their one questionable position is who will partner the captain at the top of the order. Herschelle Gibbs was the obvious choice but now he’s out of the reckoning it looks as though the job will go to Prince who lost his place in the middle order after Duminy’s heroics in Australia. Opening the batting was the only spot left so Prince re-invented himself as an opener to such good effect he made 150 against the Australians in the third Test at Cape Town on his recall to the side.

The bowling contains plenty of threat too with Dale Steyn a man who can do serious damage with the new ball. He’s pretty brisk, swings it out and so far has a terrific record of 170 wickets at 23.7 in 33 Tests. He’s taken five in an innings 11 times and ten in a match on three occasions and that’s some going. Just compare those figures with England’s current crop of bowlers where only Ryan Sidebottom (27.7) and Graham Onions (25.15) have taken their wickets at under 30 apiece and Jimmy Anderson (34.87) and Stuart Broad (35.78) are our best bowlers.

Makhaya Ntini at 32 years of age is nearing the end of his career but he’s still got a bit of gas in the tank although he’s beginning to lose a touch of pace. He comes at batsmen from an awkward angle, wide on the crease, and early on can be disconcerting. It’s hard for right handers to estimate whether it will nip back or hold its line. It gets batsmen playing at very wide balls which gets them into trouble. The difficulty is to know what to play and what to leave. Once you get in it becomes easier but you’ve got to get in first.

Morne Morkel is likely to be the third seamer. Tall and gangly he gets pace and bounce and he’s been working hard at trying to pitch the ball up a bit more. When tall guys get the ball on that ‘in between’ length it poses problems because the batsman doesn’t know whether to go forward or back. That’s what made Curtly Ambrose and Joel Garner so difficult and huge wicket takers.

Another bowler who may well play a part is Wayne Parnell, the 20 year old left arm quickie. He’s yet to play a Test but did very well in the T20 World Cup and I think he’ll be in the mix somehow.

Pitches in South Africa don’t favour spin and they use Paul Harris their left arm slow bowler for containment. He hasn’t got a classic action, is very round arm and looks ungainly. But he’s better than he looks and has impressive control, with an economy rate of 2.73 runs per over, superior to anyone else in the South African side. The Australians made the mistake of thinking they could get after him so England beware.

Share article with: