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Questionable future South Africa prepares for life without its stars
Posted: Thursday January 13, 2000 01:54 PM
CENTURION, South Africa (AP) -- It already has won the five-match series against England, but South Africa approaches the final test Friday considering its future without stalwarts Jonty Rhodes and Allan Donald. While Donald will continue his pursuit of 300 test wickets in the upcoming test, Rhodes will be replaced by Border captain Pieter Strydom after failing a fitness test. Rhodes has been battling a sore hamstring, and told the team management he would not be 100 percent following a vigorous workout Thursday. Already unavailabile for South Africa's tours of India and Sri Lanka later this year, Rhodes realizes he will have to fight to rejoin the national team. At 33, Donald needs 10 wickets to reach the 300 plateau in test cricket. Achieving the feat would provide a glorious exit, if not in South Africa, then on the West Indies tour in February and March. But having discussed his future with English county Warwickshire and its coach Bob Woolmer, Donald has acknowled the tour of Sri Lanka in August and September would conflict with his club responsibilities. It is widely accepted he wants to reuce his one-day international commitments, as well as taxing tours away frm home. Donald will play against England on Friday at the Centurion strip which is likely to be seamer-friendly. South Africa has already shown its hand by releasing Mornantau Hayward for provincial duty, so, excluding Rhodes, it will field an unchanged side for the series finale. Strydom will make his test debut after finishing high among in the domestic averages for the past few seasons. He scored 86 for Border in East London against the English in a tour match, and has amassed 485 runs for an average of 69.28 so far in the domestic season, including two centuries and four 50s. England will have to make at least one change, replacing Andrew Flintoff who fractured a bone in his left foot. With the pitch likely to favor fast bowlers, England may also drop left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell, and bring in both Alex Tudor and Alan Mullally. England's batting has been a major problem in the series, even getting South African captain Hansie Cronje to dismiss it publicly. After the Newlands test in which South Africa put the series beyond England's reach, Cronje said he felt comfortable after he got pass any pair of the trio of Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart. "After that, one end is always vulnerable," he said. Hussain agreed. "We lost the Cape Town test in a couple of hours on the first day, after a great opening partnership of 115 dissolved into 215 for five," he said. So, replacing Chris Adams in the middle order with Darren Maddy seems to be a possibility, after Adams has been found to be inadequate at test level so far.
South AfricaGary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (captain), Pieter Strydom, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald, Paul Adams.
EnglandMark Butcher, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain (captain), Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Chris Adams, Darren Maddy, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Chris Silverwood, Phil Tufnell, Alex Tudor, Alan Mullally.Umpires: Rudi Koertzen, South Africa; Darrell Hair, Australia. TV Umpire: Cyril Mitchley, South Africa. Match Referee: Barry Jarman, Australia.
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