Overseas Tests

After standing toe to toe with the best team in the world for two Tests, New Zealand collapsed like the familiar house of cards they have become in international cricket. The history of the Kiwis at the top level is one of honest hard working cricketers who suffer from being drawn from a small data base. It is only when the odd freak rises from the mud pools - the likes of Richard Hadlee or Martin Crowe or Glenn Turner - that these toilers with small man syndrome can rally around the star and play winning cricket. When more of their players were playing in English and Australian competitions the game of the Black Caps was also more competitive. In the final Test against India at Nagpur, they had their ears boxed by Ishant Sharma and the monkey expert himself, Harbhajan Singh, who took all the important wickets between them. Rahul Dravid, the resurgent gent of international cricket batted as gloriously as New Zealand didn't, making as many in his innings as the Kiwis did in either. Dan Vettori has the patience of Kindergarten teacher on a windy day the way he contributes without tiring to this team and the result must be a disappointment after they were at least as good as India in the first two games. Still, at least he can claim a better series loss than Ponting in similar conditions.

In Abu Dhabi, South Africa have taken their lead beyond 300 with one day to play but in a match that has been rich in runs, perhaps Graeme Smith might be nervous of offering Pakistan any hope. The best path to victory is by offering the fickle Pakistani batsmen a chance and then watching them implode. Much depends on the outcome which pays best for the bookies. Younis Khan failed in the first innings and he doesn't do that twice very often as his second innings effort in the 1st Test showed. South Africa have the whip hand thanks to AB deVilliers wonderful innings, more from the best tradie in the batting business Jacques Kallis and a tail which had more wags than a pub on a Friday night. No. 11 Montie Morkel added over a hundred with deVilliers alone. Tanveer Ahmed had earlier put a wobble in the top order which Kallis steadied but it was the effort of Dale Steyn which reinforced why he is the best quick in the world, his four wickets from the top five on an increasingly dead track a testament to his craft and energy. The more desperate news to emerge from this game is the now accustomed revelation that Graeme Smith has again broken a finger, his fourth such injury in two years and it appears likely he will miss the opening Test at home against the touring Indians. A Shoaib Ahktar bouncer in the first of the recent ODI's was the culprit, underlining again the pointlessness of these continual attempts to milk the cricket cow dry.

Damp and darkness ruined the first day at Colombo, where Kemar Roach has made some inroads during a day which started after lunch and finished just after tea. With Sangakkar at the crease anything is still possible.