jamesryfler said:
Are RSA really that a good a team ?
When RSA came here in late 2001, they were billed as a side capable of genuinely competing with Australia for the world no 1 spot.
Nothing of the sort ensued - Australia absolutely annnihlated them both here and in RSA.
I saw them in England -- they weren't all that impressive and they subsequently lost in Pakistan to an emerging Pakistani outfit.
Kim Hughes was correct in one sense -- NZ (with Shane Bond) are probably a more worthy no 2 than RSA.
Kim Hughes and you are surely having a laugh.
New Zealand, better than South Africa?
(I assume that no-one can possibly consider New Zealand a viable ODI side so I'll assume we're talking Tests)
New Zealand's recent regulars:
Richardson - almost always scored runs, some in my view pretty cheap. No arguing with those he scored against, for instance, India, Sri Lanka and West Indies of the recent times, but really I think the term flat-track bully applies to him.
Vincent - scored a century in his last Test and had a sensational debut; really never lived-up to the hope created on that debut. Perhaps, looking at his First-Class record, it's not surprising - there seem to be plenty of better young openers around in New Zealand.
Fleming - very good player, improving all the time.
Styris - again, no arguing with his record, but again, the runs were on some of the flattest tracks you'll see in India and West Indies.
Astle - been injured quite a bit recently but his recent performances have all been good.
McMillan - last series (in very, very easy batting conditions) sensational, previous few series' appalling. Still rate him but it'll take more than that India series to convince me he's back to his best.
Tuffey, Oram - don't rate Oram much as a batsman, so these two's bowling is practically the same category - always dangerous on green wickets, never going to be much of a threat on wickets that don't move off the seam or provide uneven bounce. Also tend to lose their accuracy when the conditions don't suit their movement techniques.
Vettori - best fingerspinner in The World IMO, but hardly bowled recently due to injury and lack of need.
Bond I don't rate in Test-matches anyway - he did well against Bangladesh, on seamers' paradises against India and against West Indies. Only the West Indies one is remotely noteworthy, and for all we know it could just have been poor batting (Liam can doubtless tell us).
Cairns is now coming back to fitness but his bowling was abysmal for Notts last season - over 4-an-over in the First-Class game (and over 5 in the one-dayers).
South Africa, meanwhile:
Smith - potentially, IMO, the best batsman since Bradman and Headley.
Kallis (2nd best all-rounder ever for me, even Miller only just comes close)
Kirsten - getting better all the time.
Gibbs - scored runs consistently for God knows how long now.
McKenzie - always seemed a good player to me, but hasn't done anything since Trent Bridge.
Van Jaarsveld - looks a good player in prospect, always has done.
Boucher - been a good player for some time now.
Pollock - not an especially awe-inspiring bowler IMO on flat wickets but on seaming or uneven wickets it's not really possible to get better than him.
Adams - often a threat, sometimes a wayward nightmare.
Ntini - got accuracy back since tour of England (though it at times disappeared in the First West Indies Test) and took wickets in that game, too. Never really impressed me as much as he seems to have impressed some as far as Test-matches are concerned, but no arguing with his wicket-taking against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and thus far against WI.
Not to mention Boeta Dippenaar, David Terbrugge, Mfuneko Ngam and plenty of others.
. You won't become no.1 with one series victory :O . That series victory too is very doubtful to happen let alone 3-0. India maybe second best in onedayers but nowhere near that in tests.
