Parnell is an instant smash
EXPECT the unexpected. That was certainly the message this young Proteas Twenty20 squad have arrived in New Zealand with.
They have heard all the stories from head coach Gary Kirsten and bowling coach Allan Donald – the only members of the current Proteas unit here to have previously played Test cricket in New Zealand – of the strange venues they would train at, how cold the temperature could get, and various other anecdotes of how unique New Zealand is as a cricket destination.
Knowing all of this, they could still not hide their disbelief during their first training session at a surprisingly warm Basin Reserve ground yesterday. The facilities were good, arguably of the best the Proteas will encounter on the six-week tour, but with “the Basin” – as locals like to call it – also serving as a civic park, there were smiles all round when cyclists and joggers rode on or ran through and around the ground without even a stutter to have a closer look at a team that could leave these shores ranked No 1 in the Test rankings.
South Africa need to whitewash the Black Caps 3-0 to achieve this status, although coach Kirsten was quick to point out yesterday that was not the “focus right now” and that the Proteas have “long term plans for all formats”.
Kirsten and his team’s immediate attention is, of course, on the three-match Twenty20 series starting here at the Westpac Stadium on Friday, which is preceded by a T20 warm-up game against the Canterbury Wizards in Christchurch on Wednesday.
This was perhaps the reason for the sense of amusement with the ongoing public traffic as the Proteas certainly went through their T20 skills with great intent yesterday during a lengthy four-hour session. A training session that started with a warm-up, followed by nets, moving on towards a “long ball” drill certainly put the passers-by in danger.
Uncapped opener Richard Levi gave the local press contingent a little insight into his amazing power-hitting ability by smashing balls to all parts, but it was all-rounder Wayne Parnell who made the biggest impression, when he crashed the ball through a window of the main pavilion.
“We did have a good training session,” Kirsten said yesterday as Parnell’s drive shattered the glass. “It is always a bit of an issue when we travel long distances, and also with the 11hour time change, so it’s good to let the guys get the feel of the place. We only have four days to acclimatise, which is not much, so it’s important we get ready.”