***Official*** South Africa in New Zealand 2012

[Heboric]

FIXTURES

Warm Up T20 match

Wed Feb 15
Canterbury v South Africans
Hagley Oval, Christchurch

T20s

Fri Feb 17
1st T20 - New Zealand vs South Africa
Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Sun Feb 19
2nd T20 - New Zealand vs South Africa
Seddon Park, Hamilton

Wed Feb 22
3rd T20 - New Zealand vs South Africa
Eden Park, Auckland

ODIs

Sat Feb 25(d/n)
1st ODI - New Zealand vs South Africa
Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Wed Feb 29(d/n)
2nd ODI - New Zealand vs South Africa
McLean Park, Napier

Sat Mar 3(d/n)
3rd ODI - New Zealand vs South Africa
Eden Park, Auckland

Tests

Wed Mar 7 - Sun Mar 11
1st Test - New Zealand vs South Africa
University Oval, Dunedin

Thu Mar 15 - Mon Mar 19
2nd Test - New Zealand vs South Africa
Seddon Park, Hamilton

Fri Mar 23 - Tue Mar 27
3rd Test - New Zealand vs South Africa
Basin Reserve, Wellington

South African Squad

Test
Graeme Smith (Cape Cobras, captain), AB de Villiers (Titans, vice-captain), Hashim Amla (Dolphins), Mark Boucher (Cape Cobras), Marchant de Lange (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Imran Tahir (Dolphins), Jacques Kallis (Cape Cobras), Morne Morkel (Titans), Alviro Petersen (Highveld Lions), Robin Peterson (Cape Cobras), Vernon Philander (Cape Cobras), Jacques Rudolph (Titans), Dale Steyn (Cape Cobras), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Warriors)

ODI
AB de Villiers (Titans, captain), Hashim Amla (Dolphins, vice-captain), Johan Botha (Warriors), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (Titans), Jacques Kallis (Cape Cobras), Albie Morkel (Titans), Morne Morkel (Titans), Justin Ontong (Cape Cobras), Wayne Parnell (Warriors), Robin Peterson (Cape Cobras), Graeme Smith (Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Cape Cobras), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Warriors)

T20
AB de Villiers (Titans, captain), Hashim Amla (Dolphins, vice-captain), Johan Botha (Warriors), Marchant de Lange (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Colin Ingram (Warriors), Richard Levi (Cape Cobras), Albie Morkel (Titans), Morne Morkel (Titans), Justin Ontong (Cape Cobras), Wayne Parnell (Warriors), Robin Peterson (Cape Cobras), Rusty Theron (Warriors), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Warriors)

At least we got a T20 warm up game

(I dont know how early is to early and who must sticky this)

[Ryan19]

A 20/20 warm up but no first class warm up? Ridiculous.

I can see plenty of those tests being washed out in March as well.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

In recent years, the weather's been better in March than Jan/Feb. This year's weather's all over the place, so who knows.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Team I want for SA if Ryder is not fit.

Guptil
McCullum
Williamson
Taylor
Brownlie
Vettori
Watling
Wells
Bracewell
Southee
Martin

Reckon we could use the extra batting after some consideration and that 8 is the spot for Wells.

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Wells at eight seems pointless since he's a batting allrounder.

Then put Watling at 8. I think there will be better 8's around in world cricket than Sam Wells. Finally why should Wells complain about being 8 at least he would be in the team.

Bowling attack
Martin
Southee
Bracewell
Vettori
Wells

Good enough I say - and to have a good chance of posting a total to defend against Saffers batting down to 8 would be helpful.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Bowling attack
Martin
Southee
Bracewell
Vettori
Wells

Personally, I reckon that bowling attack would get absolutely mauled by South Africa.

[Ryan19]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

Personally, I reckon that bowling attack would get absolutely mauled by South Africa.

If that bowling attacking is going to get "mauled" then putting in Boult for Wells surely won't help you out that much.

I think New Zealand needs a player who is of similar type to Wells. The problem is based on his stats he just doesn't look good enough. You are making the choice between picking the player you need who probably isn't very good and Boult whom you don't need but is probably good enough.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

To be perfectly frank, I'm worried that any attack we put out will get mauled. That said, I can't imagine Wells would be much more effective than Jonathan Trott or a fully fit Jesse Ryder and testing him against a solid South African batting line up seems like folly to me.

[Flem274*]

Marto to continue to be awesome against South Africa.

[_Ed_]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Marto to continue to be awesome against South Africa.

Hope so!

I'd normally be mortified that the only warm-up game is a T20, but not this time. I think it's really good that there's a major international sporting attraction in Christchurch. You can't deny a T20 is a bigger event than a 3-day game from that point of view. Hope it's a huge success at Hagley.

[GingerFurball]

Gun itinerary.

[Flem274*]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Then put Watling at 8. I think there will be better 8's around in world cricket than Sam Wells. Finally why should Wells complain about being 8 at least he would be in the team.

Can't think of many number eights who bat in the middle order for the FC teams. Maybe Ashwin?

In any case you play people where they're most likely to be effective. If Wells played, I'd put him at least at number seven, since by all accounts he's more of a batsman than a bowler. At number eight he's going to be batting with Watling and the tail most of the time.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Can't think of many number eights who bat in the middle order for the FC teams. Maybe Ashwin?

Bresnan for Yorkshire possibly.

[straw man]

This series is going to be so ****ing awesome. Loved the last time SA toured and it was sooooo long ago. Fully expect us to get thrashed, particularly in the tests, but will enjoy it anyway (Steyn ). Best chance will be green seamers to give our bowlers a chance, and our batsmen will struggle anyway.

Think this will be do-or-die time for Southee - has been pretty average for a while and if continues to perform badly, could be overtaken by Boult and Bracewell, with Wagner providing more competition too.

[BeeGee]

I actually think NZ has half a chance. Home conditions and all.

We were competitive against Aus in Aus, right after Aus had returned from a drawn series in SA. I think home conditions will negate at least a little of the advantage SA has over us.

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Gun itinerary.

Three Tests!! Awesome.

[Athlai]

We will win this series. SA have less heart and less Ross Taylor.