Black Caps get ideal build-up
NEW ZEALAND batsman Kane Williamson is eyeing a typically green Cape Town deck, as the days tick closer to the Black Caps’ firsttest clash against South Africa this week.
The two-match series is shaping as a much- awaited encounter between the two sides, and the match (starting Wednesday evening, NZ time) will be Brendon McCullum’s first as test skipper.
Traditionally a pitch that favours batsmen, the Newlands wicket is a good surface that should offer plenty for both sides’ seam attack in the opening days of the test.
The Black Caps’ top order got the ideal warm-up in their threeday game in Paarl yesterday, making 311 for 6 against a South African XI.
Williamson (59) and McCullum (65) starred with the bat for the visitors – though all members of the Kiwi top order enjoyed good spells at the crease.
Although time at the crease is good for a batsman’s confidence, Williamson concedes the South African test attack is a far more menacing one than the second-tier line-up they are currently facing.
‘‘I think all the guys today were looking to get in and spend some time in the middle,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s still obviously cricket, even though the surface was slightly different [than what it will be in Cape Town].
‘‘ It’s still nice to spend some time out there, but in saying that, we’re all aware of the conditions, and also the attack that we’re going to come up against etc – it will be very different [in the test].’’
Williamson impressed when he first faced South Africa at test level last summer. During the Republic’s tour to New Zealand in March, the Tauranga-born batsman made 228 runs at 57.00 against the visitors’ star-studded attack – highlighted by a gutsy 102 not out in the third test in Wellington.
His fellow batsmen didn’t fare as well in the three-match series – but Williamson sees the tests in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth as a great challenge for the young Black Caps side, and a chance for them to learn about succeeding at the top level.
‘‘We’d played a lot of teams in different conditions – but to me, that attack we faced was the best I’d ever come up against and the most demanding,’’ the 22-year-old recalled.
‘‘Obviously they’ve got the batsmen to go with it – with I don’t know how many in the top 10 at the moment.
‘‘The level of cricket they bring is of the highest, and it’s a great challenge. We’ve got a young outfield as well so they’ve all got a great chance to learn and hopefully put together some strong performances.’’
Seamer Doug Bracewell has been left out of the Black Caps’ 15-man squad to take on South Africa in three one- day internationals in the Republic next month. Corey Anderson, Ronnie Hira, Colin Munro and Jimmy Neesham are all handed their first call-ups to the international oneday set-up.