Bloemfontein: Apart from a minor scare about Adam Bacher cracking a bone in his right hand and Shaun Pollock passing a fitness test it was another ordinary eve of Test practice session for South Africa at Springbok Park on Thursday. After orthopaedic advice Bacher is to bat with the damaged finger in a splint as the first of two matches against Zimbabwe starts on Friday at the world's 80th Test venue while Pollock, according to coach Graham Ford and confirmed by the captain, Hansie Cronje, is over the hamstring scare.
Bacher hurt the small finger of his right hand during the morning fielding session and after an xray disclosed a hairline fracture, it was not considered serious enough to seek a replacement at this late stage of the team's preparation. What has happened, however, is that the recalled Bacher is to wear a specially designed finger splint protection during the Tests. Which means he is unlikely to field in the slips during the match where much interest is being focused on Allan Donald and how his ankle stands up to the pressure of bowling in a game which is seen as crucial to South Africa's success this summer.
Donald, now 33, met Thursday night with Dr Ali Bacher, managing director of the United Cricket Board, to discuss the fast bowler's long-term future in the game which will also no doubt cover such items as Donald's county contract prospects with Warwickshire as well as his commitment to South Africa's cause.
No doubt Dr Bacher will make an announcement sometime Friday or Saturday on his talks with Donald, but there is a worry that despite his ankle holding up in the SuperSport Series game against Western Province, White Lightening views any Test appearance as a high priority on his list of events in which and not which to play. He took seven wickets in the match against Province and bowled well within himself.
South Africa should have a decided edge on a Zimbabwe side minus Heath Streak and the two leg-spinners Paul Strang (injured) and the retired Adam Huckle (retired) while Neil Johnson has an injury which keeps him out of the attack. It could explain the pop-gun variety of the bowling and may lead Zimbabwe to packing the side with batting.
While not always the clever thing to do, it does mean Zimbabwe are always going to be on the backfoot and that in turn suggests ``defence mode'' through the five days, whether or not the game, without help from the elements, managed to last that long.
South Africa go in to only the second Test between the two countries with a new pair of opening batsmen in Bacher and Boeta Dippenaar and the coach, Ford, has been concentrating some of his energies on this new partnership. At best it is a temporary refurbishment as Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten are likely to be back at some stage this season.
Gibbs most likely will be ready for the Harare Test three weeks away while Kirsten's broken finger may even cost him his place in the opening match of the series against England a month away. Even so South Africa's top-order, which includes Jacques Kallis and Daryll Cullinan, should make the most of the batting conditions as well as the cannon-fodder style attack offered by the Zimbabweans. At least the game will offer Cronje a chance to experiment with his bowling permutations ahead of the Harare game and the series against England.
South Africa:
Adam Bacher, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (capt), Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald, Paul Adams. Twelfth man: Nicky Boje.
Zimbabwe (from):
Alistair Campbell (capt), Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Murray Goodwin, Neil Johnson, Gavin Rennie, Guy Whittall Andrew Whittall Henry Olonga, Bryan Strang, Mpumelo Mbangwa, Trevor Gripper, David Mutendera.
Umpires: Steve Dunne (NZ) and David Orchard (RSA)
TV umpire: Cyril Mitchley
Match Referee: Jackie Hendriks (West Indies)
Hours of play: 10.30-12.30; 1.10pm-3.10pm; 3.30-5.30pm