SOUTH AFRICANS FOR NEXT TEST

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27225, 17 December 1953, Page 12

SOUTH AFRICANS FOR NEXT TEST

WATKINS REPLACED BY SEAM BOWLER BATTING STRENGTH WEAKENED [From the Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent with the team] DURBAN, Dec. 15 Only one change has been made in the South African team for the second test and that is because the all-rounder, Watkins, is not available for this match. He has been replaced by the Transvaal seam bowler. Ironside, who in a recent match with New Zealand took six wickets for 85 off 33 overs in the first innings. The twelfth man will be P. Winslow, of Transvaal, instead of E. Fuller, of Western Province.

Although the inclusion of Ironside weakens the South African batting at Ellis Park, he is a fine bowler and the home team can afford to do with one less batsman if he shows the same form.

The New Zealand team will leave Durban by air early tomorrow morning and fly to Johannesburg. There they will be met by Transvaal cricket officials who will take them for a three-day drive through Kruger National Park. The team will return to Benoni on Friday evening and begin a three-day match with North-eastern Transvaal on Saturday.

"There are enough New Zealand batsmen in form to give South Africa a real trial were it not for Tayfield, about whom the South African bowling is built. Only Reid so far has been able to find an answer to him and in the first test he did not last against the others long enough to have a good look at the offspinner in this match.

Rabone set a fine example, and if the others among the batsmen can learn to concentrate tor long periods, New Zealand could still give a very good account of itself in the remaining tests. At present the South African and New Zealand teams are like two boxers.

South Africa are stronger and faster than New Zealand, but the difference between them is not so great that one lucky blow could not end with the visiting team forcing home the advantage given it.

If the Ellis Park pitch is like the one the New Zealanders saw during the Transvaal match. New Zealand's faster bowlers could keep the opposing batsmen very busy. It is lack of accuracy and spin among the slow bowlers that is the real handicap. Although any review of the first test can only reiterate South Africa’s superiority and underline the disappointment of the New Zealanders, who were expected to have a better chance in the first test than in later ones, it would be unwise to assume that the New Zealanders are going to be so completely outclassed in the rest of the tests.

There is no doubt South Africa Is at: present the better team. They are replete with batsmen who, if they can point only to McLean and Van Ryneveld as really accomplished strokemakers, have the experience and tenacity test matches so often demand.