Black Caps out to correct test record against Proteas

New Zealand will never have a better opportunity to correct one of the most lopsided records between major test playing nations as they will when they face South Africa in a two-test series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday.

South Africa is not only the single country among the top 10 test-playing nations they have never beaten, home or away, but they have won just four out of 45 tests between them since the first in 1932. They have lost 11 of the 12-test series played in the ‘modern era’ since South Africa’s readmission to international cricket in 1992.

In the context of New Zealand’s pre-eminence in recent years, and as reigning World test Champions, the record appears even more stark. On home soil, they would start as favourites anyway, but given their recent track record of winning far more regularly than they lose, the Black Caps would, surely, start the series as red-hot favourites. Or do they?

Captain Kane Williamson will miss the series with persistent tendinitis in his elbow and bowling attack leader, Trent Boult, will miss at least the first test with paternity duties calling. But even without one of the country’s greatest batters and leading run-scorers, and a leading wicket-taker, there is a greater depth to New Zealand’s cricket resources than ever before in their history.

Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson will be supported by Matt Henry in place of Boult, with the home team confirming they will not play a spinner. Proteas captain Dean Elgar is a diehard supporter of playing a spinner and is an unapologetic supporter of Keshav Maharaj but with the left armer having bowled so little in three tests against India, and conditions expected to be even more seam-friendly in Christchurch, he may be persuaded to play an extra seam-bowling allrounder.

Dolphins left-hander Sarel Erwee has been travelling with the test squad for over a year and on that basis alone deserves a debut at No 3 in place of Keegan Petersen, who missed the trip to New Zealand after a positive but asymptomatic Covid test shortly before departure.

At 32-years-old, Erwee is unusually experienced for a South African debutant having played 96 first-class matches and scored almost 6000 runs at an average of 39. He also offers some very occasional off-spin should South Africa opt to play Wiaan Mulder in place of Maharaj and make do with Aiden Markram and Elgar should a change of pace be required.

Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and, possibly, Duanne Olivier and even Mulder or Glenton Stuurman will more than hold their own against the home side’s pace attack, so the series may well be decided by the grit and defensive technique of the top order batters. Which places Elgar squarely in the spotlight - again. But in Tom Latham, the Black Caps have a captain and opener who is more than a match for his counterpart.

BOX:

Dean Elgar, age 34
72 tests, 4582 runs @ 39.8 Highest Score 199

Tom Latham, age 29
63 tests, 4486 runs @ 42.7 Highest Score 264*

There are the usual ‘ex-South Africans’ in the New Zealand lineup with 35-year-old left-arm seamer Wagner still going strong and Devon Conway, who played with and against half a dozen of the current Proteas squad, set to bat at No 3.

“We don’t see him as South African anymore,” Elgar said. No doubt he would not have been as quick to disown him if he had scored three centuries in his first five tests, including a 200 on debut at Lord’s, if he had done so for the country of his birth.

There is a huge amount at stake for both teams – primarily World Test Championship points. New Zealand dropped points earlier in the summer when they were sensationally beaten by Bangladesh in a test, also in Christchurch, and with away series in England and Pakistan later in the year, they know how important these points could be if they are to have any chance of retaining the test mace as WTC winners.

For South Africa, there is the job of maintaining the momentum from their thrilling series victory against India. Should they beat New Zealand and then follow up with another series win against Bangladesh at home in April, they will know that another win in their three-test series in England in August will make them serious contenders for a place in the WTC final in 2024.

Play starts at midnight SA time and will be screened on SSCri (Ch212) from 11:50pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

Possible teams:

South Africa: Dean Elgar (captain), Aiden Markram, Sarel Erwee, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj / Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi.

New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry.