McKenzie stakes claim for Test berth
Neil McKenzie staked a claim for a berth in the South African Test side when he hit a superb 156 not out on the opening day of the two-day warm up match against a Sri Lanka Board XI played at the Saravanamuttu Stadium on Sunday
Sa' adi Thawfeeq
16-Jul-2000
Neil McKenzie staked a claim for a berth in the South African Test side
when he hit a superb 156 not out on the opening day of the two-day warm up
match against a Sri Lanka Board XI played at the Saravanamuttu Stadium on
Sunday.
South Africa finished the day on a high note at 385 for four after
being invited to bat first.With a question mark against Darryl Cullinan's fitness (hamstring injury),ahead of Thursday's first Test at Galle, 24-year-old uncapped Test player McKenzie from Gauteng grabbed the opportunity to remind the tour selectors with a superb knock.
The right-hander played both pace and spin with ease reaching his century
with a pulled four to fine leg off Dilhara Fernando.It took him 213
minutes and was scored off 166 balls with 15 fours and a six.
He did not give a chance until at 139 when he miscued a drive off the
second new ball and Indika de Saram failed to hold onto the head high catch
at mid-off. Ruchira Perera was the unlucky bowler.
McKenzie's knock cannot be ignored by the South African tour selectors who
will either have to fit him in either as an opener or a middle-order batsman.
At the close, he had advanced to 156, having completed his 150 in 282
minutes off 211 balls with one six and 20 fours.
What was ironic about the whole thing was that South Africa played with
only four front-line batsmen if all-rounders Lance Klusener and Shaun
Pollock are to be ignored, and the Board XI bowlers could make no
impression on them.
They were either too wayward or bowled far too short and were punished
accordingly. A total of 16-no-balls and seven wides didn't help their
cause.
Pollock thrashed the tired bowling attack in the final session to complete
a half-century off 77 balls in 99 minutes with a six and three fours.
The arrival of the second new ball after 83 overs brought forth a flurry of
runs - 52 off seven overs with McKenzie completing 150 and Pollock his
fifty. The pair have so far put together an unfinished stand of 151 for
the fifth wicket.
The early part of the batting was dominated by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher
who was promoted to open only because Andrew Hall was being given a rest.
Boucher made 75 good runs batting positively to hit 12 fours and a six in
his 150-minute stay at the wicket . He made use of a dropped catch at 52 by
Prasanna Jayewardene off Fernando to become the dominant partner in an
opening stand of 77 with Boeta Dippenaar, who made an unimpressive 15 runs
in 85 minutes.
Jonty Rhodes in need of a big innings behind him before the Test series
disappointed when he was smartly stumped by Jayewardene off Dinuk
Hettiaratchi for nine. Klusener knocked up 36 with five fours helping
McKenzie add 88 for the fourth wicket before hitting back a return catch to
part-time bowler Tillekeratne Dilshan. That success which came 25 minutes
after tea was the Board XI's final breakthrough for the day. McKenzie and
Pollock then took total control from there onwards.
The Board XI made one late change including Kaushalya Weeraratne for
Pramodya Wickremasinghe, who was ruled out with a stiff neck.
By resting key players Gary Kirsten, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, and Lance
Klusener from the team that lost the Singer Triangular Series final to Sri
Lanka on Friday and also Darryl Cullinan who missed the final because of a
hamstring injury, South Africa played all five fast bowlers on tour.
Australian Test umpire Darryl Harper officiated in this game to get
himself acclimatised to the hot and humid conditions here. Harper is due to
stand in the first two Tests between Sri Lanka and South Africa at Galle
(July 20-24) and Kandy (July 30 to August 3).