South Africa likely to experiment with one-day series in the bag

Marcus Prior

May 11, 2001

If there was any doubt that the pressure has lifted from the South African squad, it was instantly erased on Friday morning when practice ahead of Saturday's sixth one-day international in Trinidad consisted almost entirely of a game of touch rugby.

The South Africans have waited a long time on this tour for an opportunity to unwind and enjoy the Caribbean, and after over two months of intense physical and mental effort, the last final two 'dead' one-day games represent a chance to rotate and experiment - properly.

Captain Shaun Pollock admitted as much after the win in Barbados which gave South Africa an unassailable 4-1 lead in the series.

"The nice thing is we can give guys opportunities in decent positions," Pollock said. "To play someone and bat him at eight isn't really rotation because he's not going to learn much, but in the next few games there may be a chance for some of the guys to take on new roles and we can have a look at how they perform."

The most obvious move is to give the likes of Justin Kemp and Justin Ontong a chance to impress with the bat. Both have performed creditably enough as bowlers, but the two young all-rounders form a major part of South Africa's long-term plans for the 2003 World Cup, and early exposure to batting responsibility at the highest level is now a priority for the selectors. Ontong has had one innings (12 in the first game in Jamaica), Kemp has yet to make it to the middle.

No surprises then that Ontong and Kemp were the two players to stay on after touch rugby for a session of throw-downs with coach Graeme Ford and assistant coach Corrie van Zyl.

Expect Paul Adams and Andre Nel to get a first run-out of the series in the next two games - both have waited patiently for their chance and are sure to be rewarded with the series now won.

Other options include a promotion up the order for vice-captain Mark Boucher who has had no chance to prove his form with the bat. That has not been an issue for Pollock, but the best efforts of the captain to capitalise on the way he is hitting the ball - including promotions to number six and then number five - have all been thwarted by the way the top order has played and the emphatic margins of victory in the last four games.

Experiment they will, but as ever with South Africa, the thirst for victory will be undiminished. West Indies captain Carl Hooper said earlier in the series that he would like to rotate the options in his side, but that there simply were not the players available. South Africa's embarrassment of riches could hardly stand in greater contrast.

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