Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Cairns' former team-mates allege fixing demands
Chris Cairns, the retired New Zealand international, has been confronted with allegations of corruption made by former team-mates on the second day of his libel action against the former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. Cairns, who is suing Modi over a 2010 tweet that claimed the former allrounder was involved in match-fixing during his time in the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL), said that the accusations made him "angry" and "sad".
The High Court in London heard testimony from witness statements of several former players with Chandigarh Lions, the team Cairns captained during his three years in the Twenty20 league. The evidence provided in Modi's defence included a claim that Cairns asked a batsman to score "no more than 5 runs" in an innings, and instructed one bowler to bowl no-balls and another to bowl "loosely".
Cairns was also questioned about his work for a diamond trading company and the large sums of money he received from them prior to the third edition of the ICL. The firm, Vijay Dimon, was run by what Cairns described as family friends and he said he regretted them becoming the focus of public interest.
"I didn't realise how intense this would be," Cairns said. "Anything that has Modi attached is significant global news. The initial tweet in 2010 started this and now it's spread like wildfire all over the world. With regards to bringing my friends into this domain, I feel sorry for them."
During his second day on the witness stand - an appearance that ran to almost eight hours in total - Roger Thwaites QC, representing Modi, accused Cairns of colluding with Dinesh Mongia, a former India international, to "put pressure on younger players to underperform". Mongia, described as Cairns' "co-conspirator", had an unofficial role as vice-captain within the team because of his ability to translate English for the Indian players who didn't speak the language.
The court heard that Rajesh Sharma, a bowler with Chandigarh, said that he had raised concerns about match-fixing during the second edition of the ICL but was told by Cairns and Mongia to keep quiet or he would be removed from the team. Cairns denied such a conversation took place but said that he had spoken to Sharma and two other players about their levels of performance.
Another player, Gourav Gupta, alleged that he had been told by Mongia that Cairns would give him money for fixing matches. He said in one match he had been told to score five runs or less and that Cairns had told him to "get out now" upon joining Gupta, who had scored four runs at the time, in the middle. Cairns responded by saying: "I would never instruct anyone to do that."
Gupta said it was understood a player could earn 10 Lakhs ($20,000) if they agreed to engage in fixing.
Two other bowlers were also allegedly pressured by Cairns and Mongia. Amit Uniyal said he was told to "bowl loose balls" in order to keep his place in the side, while Love Ablish was allegedly instructed to bowl a no-ball. Cairns denied the claims.
Cairns had his contract terminated after three games of the third edition of the ICL, with his failure to disclose an injury the official reason given. Mongia also left the Chandigarh Lions as the same time.
Modi's defence claims that talk of Cairns' injury was a cover-up to obscure the corruption allegations that had been made against them. Cairns has denied this but faced further question from Thwaites about his financial situation in 2008, prior to the start of the third edition of the ICL in October.
Bank statements submitted to the court show that Cairns received two separate payments, totalling 600,000 Emirati Dirham ($160,000), into an account in Dubai, where he had set up home with his new wife. The payments, which were made in August and September of 2008, were for Cairns' involvement with Vijay Dimon. He had a verbal agreement to do promotional and sales work for the India-based diamond trader, which also has offices in Dubai and Antwerp.
Thwaites suggested that the transactions were bound to invite scrutiny and questioned the nature of Cairns' involvement with the diamond trade.
"You have drawn suspicion upon yourself," Thwaites said. "You must be aware that to take large payments immediately before a tournament in a country where match-fixing is rife invites suspicion?"
The initial payment, of more than 350,000 AED ($95,000), was for relocation costs, Cairns said, the rest being for appearances at dinners and events. A third payment, bringing the total Cairns received to 900,000 AED ($250,000), was made to the account in 2009, after which his association with Vijay Dimon continued only on an "occasional basis".
However, Thwaites said that the absence of a formal contract with the company "deepens the suspicion you bring upon yourself".
It was also revealed that after Cairns' departure from the ICL - but before Modi's January 2010 tweet - that former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh refused to sign a bat to be auctioned for charity that already bore Cairns' signature, as he did not want to be associated with the allrounder. Cairns accepted this but said he "had it out" with Marsh and that they had resolved their disagreement.
Cairns has previously admitted to being made aware of match-fixing allegations during a hotel meeting with ICL officials on October 26, 2008. He said that the reason for his contract being terminated, however, was due an ankle injury that prevented him from bowling. Despite repeated questioning, Cairns has denied that the ICL's anti-corruption officer, Howard Beer - who is due to give evidence on Wednesday - was present in the hotel room.
Following the meeting, Cairns said he called his lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland and asked him to "shut down" the rumours about alleged corruption that had begun to circulate. Fitch-Holland is also scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
The High Court in London heard testimony from witness statements of several former players with Chandigarh Lions, the team Cairns captained during his three years in the Twenty20 league. The evidence provided in Modi's defence included a claim that Cairns asked a batsman to score "no more than 5 runs" in an innings, and instructed one bowler to bowl no-balls and another to bowl "loosely".
Cairns was also questioned about his work for a diamond trading company and the large sums of money he received from them prior to the third edition of the ICL. The firm, Vijay Dimon, was run by what Cairns described as family friends and he said he regretted them becoming the focus of public interest.
"I didn't realise how intense this would be," Cairns said. "Anything that has Modi attached is significant global news. The initial tweet in 2010 started this and now it's spread like wildfire all over the world. With regards to bringing my friends into this domain, I feel sorry for them."
During his second day on the witness stand - an appearance that ran to almost eight hours in total - Roger Thwaites QC, representing Modi, accused Cairns of colluding with Dinesh Mongia, a former India international, to "put pressure on younger players to underperform". Mongia, described as Cairns' "co-conspirator", had an unofficial role as vice-captain within the team because of his ability to translate English for the Indian players who didn't speak the language.
The court heard that Rajesh Sharma, a bowler with Chandigarh, said that he had raised concerns about match-fixing during the second edition of the ICL but was told by Cairns and Mongia to keep quiet or he would be removed from the team. Cairns denied such a conversation took place but said that he had spoken to Sharma and two other players about their levels of performance.
Another player, Gourav Gupta, alleged that he had been told by Mongia that Cairns would give him money for fixing matches. He said in one match he had been told to score five runs or less and that Cairns had told him to "get out now" upon joining Gupta, who had scored four runs at the time, in the middle. Cairns responded by saying: "I would never instruct anyone to do that."
Gupta said it was understood a player could earn 10 Lakhs ($20,000) if they agreed to engage in fixing.
Two other bowlers were also allegedly pressured by Cairns and Mongia. Amit Uniyal said he was told to "bowl loose balls" in order to keep his place in the side, while Love Ablish was allegedly instructed to bowl a no-ball. Cairns denied the claims.
Cairns had his contract terminated after three games of the third edition of the ICL, with his failure to disclose an injury the official reason given. Mongia also left the Chandigarh Lions as the same time.
Modi's defence claims that talk of Cairns' injury was a cover-up to obscure the corruption allegations that had been made against them. Cairns has denied this but faced further question from Thwaites about his financial situation in 2008, prior to the start of the third edition of the ICL in October.
Bank statements submitted to the court show that Cairns received two separate payments, totalling 600,000 Emirati Dirham ($160,000), into an account in Dubai, where he had set up home with his new wife. The payments, which were made in August and September of 2008, were for Cairns' involvement with Vijay Dimon. He had a verbal agreement to do promotional and sales work for the India-based diamond trader, which also has offices in Dubai and Antwerp.
Thwaites suggested that the transactions were bound to invite scrutiny and questioned the nature of Cairns' involvement with the diamond trade.
"You have drawn suspicion upon yourself," Thwaites said. "You must be aware that to take large payments immediately before a tournament in a country where match-fixing is rife invites suspicion?"
The initial payment, of more than 350,000 AED ($95,000), was for relocation costs, Cairns said, the rest being for appearances at dinners and events. A third payment, bringing the total Cairns received to 900,000 AED ($250,000), was made to the account in 2009, after which his association with Vijay Dimon continued only on an "occasional basis".
However, Thwaites said that the absence of a formal contract with the company "deepens the suspicion you bring upon yourself".
It was also revealed that after Cairns' departure from the ICL - but before Modi's January 2010 tweet - that former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh refused to sign a bat to be auctioned for charity that already bore Cairns' signature, as he did not want to be associated with the allrounder. Cairns accepted this but said he "had it out" with Marsh and that they had resolved their disagreement.
Cairns has previously admitted to being made aware of match-fixing allegations during a hotel meeting with ICL officials on October 26, 2008. He said that the reason for his contract being terminated, however, was due an ankle injury that prevented him from bowling. Despite repeated questioning, Cairns has denied that the ICL's anti-corruption officer, Howard Beer - who is due to give evidence on Wednesday - was present in the hotel room.
Following the meeting, Cairns said he called his lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland and asked him to "shut down" the rumours about alleged corruption that had begun to circulate. Fitch-Holland is also scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Emphatic Sri Lanka level finals
Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan took full toll of a wayward Australia as Sri Lanka forced a third triangular series final in Adelaide. Chasing 272, the visitors galloped to the target with 5.4 overs to spare, benefiting greatly from a rollicking start when the first three overs reaped 30 runs.
Dilshan alternated between the brazen and the cheeky, crashing 10 fours and also being struck on the helmet when he attempted his patented Dil-scoop. The captain Jayawardene was more cultured, but outpaced his partner in a princely innings that would have ended in the second over if not for a Clint McKay no-ball.
Such indiscipline summed up Australia's predicament, having struck a horrid patch of form in the field midway through the first final in Brisbane and then being unable to rise above it in Adelaide. The captain Michael Clarke is also in the unenviable position of carrying a left hamstring problem perilously close to the start of the West Indies tour, due to begin almost immediately after the third final.
Clarke had done his best to give his side a decent total. His 117 in Australia's 6 for 271 was the fastest of his limited-overs career and the second of his ODI captaincy. David Warner was more circumspect, but his chanceless 100 demonstrated a range of concentration and focus reserved for the best of batsmen. Famed as a boundary hitter, Warner reached the rope only four times in his innings and cleared it only once, but the value of his effort was reflected in a final total far greater than seemed possible at the innings' midpoint.
Matthew Wade departed early to the spin of Dilshan, who opened the bowling and completed a tidy 10 overs, before Shane Watson played a chancy innings in which he was grassed twice. Each dropped catch fell off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof, who ultimately ran out Australia's vice-captain with a direct hit in his follow through. Lasith Malinga was the tightest of Sri Lanka's bowlers and deserved his three wickets.
Two more catches would go down off Clarke's bat later in the innings, while Jayawardene raged against a delayed no-ball call at the height of his opposite number's innings. Debating the point angrily with both umpires after Maharoof had strayed above waist height with a full toss, Jayawardene lost his cool. His fury would be far more controlled when the reply began.
A second-over edge behind by Jayawardene was cancelled out by McKay's overstep, typical of the abject way in which Australia's bowlers began their defence of a less than watertight total. Brett Lee gave up three wides on the way to conceding 12 from the opening over, and James Pattinson's first two overs were taken for 22 despite an abundance of away swing.
No fewer than 11 of the first 30 runs were handed to Sri Lanka via the extras column, as Australia's bowlers maintained the poorly form they had demonstrated in the latter overs in Brisbane. Clarke had taken the field despite his injury, but his presence did not make much of a difference.
Jayawardene and Dilshan did not get too frantic after the start they were given, and slipped into comfortable gears that involved regular singles and the odd boundary whenever the bowlers strayed in search of a first wicket. Australia's mid-innings options were milked for regular runs, Xavier Doherty's first five costing 37.
Dilshan was first to pass 50, and Jayawardene soon followed. Australia's frustration grew when Asad Rauf refused a concerted appeal for caught behind from Dilshan on 77, as replays revealed a substantial edge that Wade gathered while keeping up to Watson.
Jayawardene's sparkling stay was ended by a hint of Pattinson reverse swing and a clear lbw, but Dilshan went on to his second century of the tournament before Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara guided the visitors home.
Clarke had little hesitation batting upon winning the toss, but the early overs were slow going. Jayawardene's imaginative use of Dilshan added to the openers' uncertainty, and Wade's impatience proved terminal when he swung at a ball not quite short enough for the stroke and was bowled.
Watson's innings was halting, and he was dropped by Dilshan in the fielding circle then by Rangana Herath on the long-off boundary - the latter unable to complete an equivalent of his spectacular outfield take in the first final. However Maharoof was not discouraged by the missed chances, and when Watson was 15 he gathered and swivelled from Warner's offside bunt to throw down the stumps and find a diving Watson comfortably short. Clarke helped to build some greater momentum in the company of Warner, who was less conspicuous than he had been at the Gabba.
The pair accumulated steadily, adding a little more impetus with the batting Powerplay, and continuing to benefit from profligate fielding from the tourists. Clarke was turfed on 71 and 77, the second chance falling to Malinga, who managed only to palm the chance over the rope for six.
It set the scene for an explosive over, in which Clarke took Maharoof for six, four, six, four - the last a high full toss swung behind square leg. Initially the umpires did not call it a no-ball, but on reflection Bruce Oxenford raised his arm to hand Australia an extra run and another delivery. Jayawardene was incensed by the delayed call, arguing at length with both officials in a manner that suggested more of the incident would be heard later.
Clarke had blazed past Warner despite the opener having a 23-run start, and he was first to reach his century with a flick through square leg. Though he had made plenty of useful contributions in the interim, it was Clarke's first ODI century since his first innings as the fully-fledged captain, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April 2011.
Warner's hundred arrived in the next over, an effort of composure and also courage after his groin complaint in Brisbane. He skied a catch without adding another run, leaving an increasingly restricted Clarke to guide the hosts to a total rather less substantial than was ultimately needed.
Dilshan alternated between the brazen and the cheeky, crashing 10 fours and also being struck on the helmet when he attempted his patented Dil-scoop. The captain Jayawardene was more cultured, but outpaced his partner in a princely innings that would have ended in the second over if not for a Clint McKay no-ball.
Such indiscipline summed up Australia's predicament, having struck a horrid patch of form in the field midway through the first final in Brisbane and then being unable to rise above it in Adelaide. The captain Michael Clarke is also in the unenviable position of carrying a left hamstring problem perilously close to the start of the West Indies tour, due to begin almost immediately after the third final.
Clarke had done his best to give his side a decent total. His 117 in Australia's 6 for 271 was the fastest of his limited-overs career and the second of his ODI captaincy. David Warner was more circumspect, but his chanceless 100 demonstrated a range of concentration and focus reserved for the best of batsmen. Famed as a boundary hitter, Warner reached the rope only four times in his innings and cleared it only once, but the value of his effort was reflected in a final total far greater than seemed possible at the innings' midpoint.
Matthew Wade departed early to the spin of Dilshan, who opened the bowling and completed a tidy 10 overs, before Shane Watson played a chancy innings in which he was grassed twice. Each dropped catch fell off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof, who ultimately ran out Australia's vice-captain with a direct hit in his follow through. Lasith Malinga was the tightest of Sri Lanka's bowlers and deserved his three wickets.
Two more catches would go down off Clarke's bat later in the innings, while Jayawardene raged against a delayed no-ball call at the height of his opposite number's innings. Debating the point angrily with both umpires after Maharoof had strayed above waist height with a full toss, Jayawardene lost his cool. His fury would be far more controlled when the reply began.
A second-over edge behind by Jayawardene was cancelled out by McKay's overstep, typical of the abject way in which Australia's bowlers began their defence of a less than watertight total. Brett Lee gave up three wides on the way to conceding 12 from the opening over, and James Pattinson's first two overs were taken for 22 despite an abundance of away swing.
No fewer than 11 of the first 30 runs were handed to Sri Lanka via the extras column, as Australia's bowlers maintained the poorly form they had demonstrated in the latter overs in Brisbane. Clarke had taken the field despite his injury, but his presence did not make much of a difference.
Jayawardene and Dilshan did not get too frantic after the start they were given, and slipped into comfortable gears that involved regular singles and the odd boundary whenever the bowlers strayed in search of a first wicket. Australia's mid-innings options were milked for regular runs, Xavier Doherty's first five costing 37.
Dilshan was first to pass 50, and Jayawardene soon followed. Australia's frustration grew when Asad Rauf refused a concerted appeal for caught behind from Dilshan on 77, as replays revealed a substantial edge that Wade gathered while keeping up to Watson.
Jayawardene's sparkling stay was ended by a hint of Pattinson reverse swing and a clear lbw, but Dilshan went on to his second century of the tournament before Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara guided the visitors home.
Clarke had little hesitation batting upon winning the toss, but the early overs were slow going. Jayawardene's imaginative use of Dilshan added to the openers' uncertainty, and Wade's impatience proved terminal when he swung at a ball not quite short enough for the stroke and was bowled.
Watson's innings was halting, and he was dropped by Dilshan in the fielding circle then by Rangana Herath on the long-off boundary - the latter unable to complete an equivalent of his spectacular outfield take in the first final. However Maharoof was not discouraged by the missed chances, and when Watson was 15 he gathered and swivelled from Warner's offside bunt to throw down the stumps and find a diving Watson comfortably short. Clarke helped to build some greater momentum in the company of Warner, who was less conspicuous than he had been at the Gabba.
The pair accumulated steadily, adding a little more impetus with the batting Powerplay, and continuing to benefit from profligate fielding from the tourists. Clarke was turfed on 71 and 77, the second chance falling to Malinga, who managed only to palm the chance over the rope for six.
It set the scene for an explosive over, in which Clarke took Maharoof for six, four, six, four - the last a high full toss swung behind square leg. Initially the umpires did not call it a no-ball, but on reflection Bruce Oxenford raised his arm to hand Australia an extra run and another delivery. Jayawardene was incensed by the delayed call, arguing at length with both officials in a manner that suggested more of the incident would be heard later.
Clarke had blazed past Warner despite the opener having a 23-run start, and he was first to reach his century with a flick through square leg. Though he had made plenty of useful contributions in the interim, it was Clarke's first ODI century since his first innings as the fully-fledged captain, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April 2011.
Warner's hundred arrived in the next over, an effort of composure and also courage after his groin complaint in Brisbane. He skied a catch without adding another run, leaving an increasingly restricted Clarke to guide the hosts to a total rather less substantial than was ultimately needed.
South Africa start bid to reach No. 1
Match facts
March 7-11, Dunedin
Start time 10:30 (21:30 GMT)
Jacques Kallis, who missed the third ODI with back spasms, batted in the nets the day before the Test © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Matches: New Zealand v South Africa at Dunedin
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of New Zealand
Teams: New Zealand | Pakistan | Pakistan
The Big Picture
Test cricket desperately needs a team to prove itself worthy of the much-hyped No. 1 ranking. A little competition at the top makes things interesting, but two top-ranked Test sides being whitewashed within seven months is downright farcical. Any sport requires a benchmark of excellence. South Africa are the team most capable of having an extended run at the top of the rankings: they, unlike England and India, perform well in all conditions, and had it not been for a strange inability to win a home series for three years they would already have been No. 1. They can get there by beating New Zealand 3-0 and should settle for nothing less.
A year ago, when New Zealand were in quite dismal form, a whitewash would have been the expected result. A month ago, with New Zealand riding on their upset of Australia in Hobart and thumping of Zimbabwe in Napier, one might have predicted a more even fight. Now, with South Africa having halted New Zealand's revival by wiping the floor with them in the one-dayers, but having suffered a shock loss against Sri Lanka in Durban last December, bold predictions would not be as forthcoming.
New Zealand face a dilemma when it comes to what types of tracks to prepare for the series. The success in Hobart came in seaming conditions, and South Africa have lost on fast bowlers' pitches, in Johannesburg and Durban, recently. But it would take a brave team to prepare a surface that would aid Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. The Dunedin pitch has not a speck of green on it, with dried grass covering the pitch, which may make it get slower as the game goes on.
The idea might be to bring Daniel Vettori into the game, but Vettori has a poor record against South Africa, who play spin well. Batting tracks may not favour New Zealand either; their batsmen do not have the experience of their opponents in playing long innings and building mammoth totals.
Everything points to South African dominance, but it is both teams' ability to surprise, in contrasting fashion, that will keep the punters on edge.
Form guide
(Most recent first)
South Africa WLWLW
New Zealand WWLWD
Watch out for...
There was a great amount of excitement surrounding Imran Tahir's debut because he was the first legspinner to play for South Africa since their readmission to international cricket. It's not been the smoothest of starts for him, though. He has struggled to trouble batsmen with his stock ball and his googly has been effective mainly against lower-order batsmen, who account for eight of his 14 Test scalps. New Zealand's batsmen are not as adept at playing spin as Tahir's previous opponents - Australia and Sri Lanka - and this could be the series that decides his future; if the quicks leave him much to do that is.
Martin Guptill has been in prime form of late but still needs to prove he can handle top opposition in Tests. His record against top teams is poor: an average of 24.76 with no centuries in 30 innings. South Africa will be the toughest opposition he has faced yet and he will need to learn when to leave the ball and defend in addition to playing his shots.
Team news
Graeme Smith will lead South Africa despite soreness in his arm from a blow he took in the nets before the ODI series. Jacques Kallis pulled out of the third ODI due to back spasms but batted in the nets on Tuesday and is expected to play. Alviro Petersen, who joined the squad on Thursday, is set to open, with Jacques Rudolph batting at No. 6. Philander will come straight into the XI after his outstanding introduction to Test cricket, and Tahir is expected to be persisted with despite Marchant de Lange making a strong case for inclusion in the Test team.
South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir
New Zealand will have two debutants: opener Rob Nicol and wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, who will play in place of the injured BJ Watling. Nicol will open with Guptill, with Brendon McCullum moving down to No. 3. There is a third uncapped player in the squad, allrounder Andrew Ellis, but with Ross Taylor keen on playing four quicks, he may not be picked. Daniel Vettori is likely to bat at No. 6 with Chris Martin, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee forming the pace attack.
New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Rob Nicol, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Daniel Vettori, 7 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee, Trent Boult, 11 Chris Martin
Pitch and conditions
It is around 14C in Dunedin, which could make the South Africa players uncomfortable. There is also a chance of rain on the first day, with clear skies forecast for the next four. A brown pitch that may get slower suggests batting first would be the favoured option for both captains, which would be backed up by the high first-innings totals that have been scored in the three Tests at the University Oval. The last Plunket Shield match played at the ground, though, was a low-scoring game in which Auckland beat Otago after choosing to field.
Stats and trivia
Hashim Amla averages 104.80 against New Zealand after six Test innings against them
Of the last five matches between the two teams, four have been won by South Africa in less than four days
Click here for the detailed stats preview to the Test.
Quotes
"I've been surprised that that's been the general talk but the guys [South Africa] have performed really well on the tour so naturally people are getting despondent."
Graeme Smith says he did not expect the New Zealand public to write off their own team before the series had started
"After the win in Hobart we've captured the imagination of the country and we want to try and build on that."
Ross Taylor says New Zealand can erase the memory of the 0-3 loss in the ODIs with a better performance in the Tests
March 7-11, Dunedin
Start time 10:30 (21:30 GMT)
Jacques Kallis, who missed the third ODI with back spasms, batted in the nets the day before the Test © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Matches: New Zealand v South Africa at Dunedin
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of New Zealand
Teams: New Zealand | Pakistan | Pakistan
The Big Picture
Test cricket desperately needs a team to prove itself worthy of the much-hyped No. 1 ranking. A little competition at the top makes things interesting, but two top-ranked Test sides being whitewashed within seven months is downright farcical. Any sport requires a benchmark of excellence. South Africa are the team most capable of having an extended run at the top of the rankings: they, unlike England and India, perform well in all conditions, and had it not been for a strange inability to win a home series for three years they would already have been No. 1. They can get there by beating New Zealand 3-0 and should settle for nothing less.
A year ago, when New Zealand were in quite dismal form, a whitewash would have been the expected result. A month ago, with New Zealand riding on their upset of Australia in Hobart and thumping of Zimbabwe in Napier, one might have predicted a more even fight. Now, with South Africa having halted New Zealand's revival by wiping the floor with them in the one-dayers, but having suffered a shock loss against Sri Lanka in Durban last December, bold predictions would not be as forthcoming.
New Zealand face a dilemma when it comes to what types of tracks to prepare for the series. The success in Hobart came in seaming conditions, and South Africa have lost on fast bowlers' pitches, in Johannesburg and Durban, recently. But it would take a brave team to prepare a surface that would aid Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. The Dunedin pitch has not a speck of green on it, with dried grass covering the pitch, which may make it get slower as the game goes on.
The idea might be to bring Daniel Vettori into the game, but Vettori has a poor record against South Africa, who play spin well. Batting tracks may not favour New Zealand either; their batsmen do not have the experience of their opponents in playing long innings and building mammoth totals.
Everything points to South African dominance, but it is both teams' ability to surprise, in contrasting fashion, that will keep the punters on edge.
Form guide
(Most recent first)
South Africa WLWLW
New Zealand WWLWD
Watch out for...
There was a great amount of excitement surrounding Imran Tahir's debut because he was the first legspinner to play for South Africa since their readmission to international cricket. It's not been the smoothest of starts for him, though. He has struggled to trouble batsmen with his stock ball and his googly has been effective mainly against lower-order batsmen, who account for eight of his 14 Test scalps. New Zealand's batsmen are not as adept at playing spin as Tahir's previous opponents - Australia and Sri Lanka - and this could be the series that decides his future; if the quicks leave him much to do that is.
Martin Guptill has been in prime form of late but still needs to prove he can handle top opposition in Tests. His record against top teams is poor: an average of 24.76 with no centuries in 30 innings. South Africa will be the toughest opposition he has faced yet and he will need to learn when to leave the ball and defend in addition to playing his shots.
Team news
Graeme Smith will lead South Africa despite soreness in his arm from a blow he took in the nets before the ODI series. Jacques Kallis pulled out of the third ODI due to back spasms but batted in the nets on Tuesday and is expected to play. Alviro Petersen, who joined the squad on Thursday, is set to open, with Jacques Rudolph batting at No. 6. Philander will come straight into the XI after his outstanding introduction to Test cricket, and Tahir is expected to be persisted with despite Marchant de Lange making a strong case for inclusion in the Test team.
South Africa: 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir
New Zealand will have two debutants: opener Rob Nicol and wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, who will play in place of the injured BJ Watling. Nicol will open with Guptill, with Brendon McCullum moving down to No. 3. There is a third uncapped player in the squad, allrounder Andrew Ellis, but with Ross Taylor keen on playing four quicks, he may not be picked. Daniel Vettori is likely to bat at No. 6 with Chris Martin, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee forming the pace attack.
New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Rob Nicol, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Daniel Vettori, 7 Kruger van Wyk (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee, Trent Boult, 11 Chris Martin
Pitch and conditions
It is around 14C in Dunedin, which could make the South Africa players uncomfortable. There is also a chance of rain on the first day, with clear skies forecast for the next four. A brown pitch that may get slower suggests batting first would be the favoured option for both captains, which would be backed up by the high first-innings totals that have been scored in the three Tests at the University Oval. The last Plunket Shield match played at the ground, though, was a low-scoring game in which Auckland beat Otago after choosing to field.
Stats and trivia
Hashim Amla averages 104.80 against New Zealand after six Test innings against them
Of the last five matches between the two teams, four have been won by South Africa in less than four days
Click here for the detailed stats preview to the Test.
Quotes
"I've been surprised that that's been the general talk but the guys [South Africa] have performed really well on the tour so naturally people are getting despondent."
Graeme Smith says he did not expect the New Zealand public to write off their own team before the series had started
"After the win in Hobart we've captured the imagination of the country and we want to try and build on that."
Ross Taylor says New Zealand can erase the memory of the 0-3 loss in the ODIs with a better performance in the Tests
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