Pollock, Rice certainties for Springboks

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 32

Pollock, Rice certainties for Springboks

NEPK-khP Cape Town

South Africa’s cricket selectors gather today to choose the first Springbok team to play Australians for 15 years. The selectors will pick at least two great names of cricket among a squad expected to be based on Transvaal, the dominant provincial team, it was predicted.

The ageing batting phenomenon, Graeme Pollock, and the vintage all-rounder, Clive Rice, are certainties for the They will play the rebel Australian tourists led by Kim Hughes in the first of a three-match series of unof-

ficial tests beginning on Boxing Day in Durban. Despite the lack of international sanction, each member of the South African team will be given a Springbok blazer — an honour due to a national sports representative. Peter van der Merwe, the chairman of selectors, said last night that the Australians could expect to encounter the best cricketers

South Africa had to offer. “My brief is to select the best possible team — regardless of anything else.” Mr van der Merwe captained the triumphant Springboks in their second last encounter with an official Australian team, in

1966-7. He will be joined at a meeting at Wanderers Stadium today by a fellow former captain, Jackie McGlew, by the former Springboks, Johnny Waite and Mike Procter, and by Rice, who has already been appointed Springbok captain.

Mr van der Merwe said his selection panel had seen every inter-provincial match this season and all of the Australians’ games apart from the present match against Boland.

Asked whether the selectors would have to consider any special qualities that the rebels might possess, Mr

van der Merwe said: “I don’t think anything really has emerged.” He then made an exception of the rebel spin attack of Tom Hogan and Trevor Hohns.

“It’s not as great as some, so the batsmen weak to spin will not be exposed. I think it’s really a case of being able to play the quicks extremely well, and bowling to a capable batting department.” The Springbok team is expected to be announced tomorrow. The last time such a team was named to play an Australian team was in 1970, when Springboks led by Dr Ali Bacher were to tour

Australia. The invitation to tour was withdrawn “with great regret” by the Australian Cricket Board. The then chairman, Sir Donald Bradman, said there could be no doubt that that tour would have led to internal bitterness and demonstrations on a large scale in Australia. After 15 years under a sporting boycott and rebel tours from three countries, the South African Cricket Union has contracted Hughes and another 15 cricketers to tour as an Australian team. So far in the busy 22 match schedule the Austra-

lians have had an undistinguished tour, with two wins out of a total seven matches. Hughes says his players are saving their energies for the international series. The cricketers they will meet are regarded in South Africa with great national pride — and in some cases, idolisation. Pollock, a highly gifted batsman who at 41 is long past an age when most top cricketers retire, leads the heroes. Rice, an all-rounder who plays English county cricket in the southern winter, is close behind. The Transvaal opening pair of Henry Fotheringham

and Jimmy Cook are well thought of, though there are a host of other candidates for early order positions. In the latest inter-provin-cial first class lists, nine batsmen averaged more than 50 runs. A strong contest is expected for the wicketkeeper’s post, with Ray Jennings, of Transvaal, regarded as the leading candidate ahead of Dave Richardson, of Eastern Province, and Northern Transvaal’s Noel Day. The sole choice for spinner is said to be Alan Kourie of Transvaal, who has represented the country against all other rebel tourists.

A battery of pace bowlers is ready for the choosing, led on current averages by the young Hugh Page, of Transvaal, with 13 wickets at 12.84.

Mike van Vuuren, of Eastern Province, has taken eight wickets at 12.87, while the country’s recent pace spearhead, Garth le Roux, of Western Province, has taken 23 at 14.86.

The chosen Springbok team will assemble before Christmas at Durban, according to Rice.

He said he wanted them to forsake traditional seasonal festivities to polish their preparation for the four-day match.