South Africans ready for battle

After a hard-fought series against Australia in Melbourne, the South African squad arrived in Singapore for the 2000 Singapore Challenge cricket tournament bubbling with enthusiasm.

Captain Shaun Pollock was profusive in his praise for the young members of his side who drew the first indoor series against the Australians, the third game having ended in a tie.

"The new boys have come off very well. They showed they had it in them to play top flight cricket, especially when the chips were down after game one," Pollock said.

"We not only managed to tie a nearly lost game two but won a close game three as well to finish level," Pollock said on Monday.

"It shows that the South African team has depth and we can find adequate replacements when required," added the skipper.

The team needed a replacement wicketkeeper for the injured Mark Boucher, and Nic Pothas has flown in from Barabados where he was touring with the South African A team. The tournament started Sunday as Pakistan beat New Zealand.

"Pothas has already arrived so you will not see (Jacques) Kallis and Pollock alternating behind the wickets and bowling from the other end ... though we still need to find him clothing for Wednesday's game," said team manager Goolam Rajah with a smile.

Pollock admitted he had not done such things since school days but it always helps to know that there are players in the side who are not afraid to don the gloves, especially in a tough match as it was against the Australians.

On the team's chances of success here, coach Graeme Ford made a candid admission: "I was worried after the way we caved in to go one down (against the Australians)."

"But then the boys bounced back magnificently and I am sure we are ready to go away with the cup from here as well, even though it is our first visit here and we have no idea what the wicket plays like," Ford said.

The South Africans are also without mercurial Jonty Rhodes who has a thigh strain, while Boucher has a deep cut on his index and middle fingers, but both are expected to be fit before the ICC knock-out tournament starting October 2 in Kenya.

South Africa play their first game on Wednesday against Pakistan, followed by the encounter with New Zealand on Friday.

The top two teams in the tournament will battle it out in Sunday's final for the top prize of 20,000 US dollars.

Mail Cricket Editor