Now the fun begins

I don’t know about you but I can’t wait for the boys to ‘get down and dirty’ down-under.

I was at the airport before they boarded the tin budgie and I must tell you they were as energized as I have ever seen them. The butterflies were not flying in formation but there was a steely resolve amongst the camp.

One thing is for certain, upon their arrival in Perth on Sunday and subsequent cobweb erasing practise session, they would have glanced at the colossal scoreboard at the W.A.C.A and taken comfort in the fact that the Kiwis were in control of the final Test.

Their thoughts would have even gone further and the fact that the visitors from the land of the long white cloud had not been dictated to, would not have escaped the brains trust.

In fact during the third Test they set a couple of records they will be crowing about for years. The first innings was the first time four Kiwis had reached triple figures in an innings and only the second time in history the Aussies had been walloped in this fashion after the Poms also had four centurions way back in at Trent Bridge in 1938…….ouch! Also a best ever eight-wicket partnership of 253 between Parore and Astle will keep the Black Caps buoyant.

Sitting back watching the Trans Tasman Series, one aspect has stuck out like sheep’s horns. The Kiwis have been exceedingly positive in their approach, whether it be bowling or batting. This should be written in gigantic capital letters on a blackboard in all the team rooms that the South Africans inhabit over the next three months.

South Africa definitely have the batsmen and more significantly the style of play to get the Aussies thinking. Look at the line up. Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs are an exceptional opening combination. One is as unyielding as a rock and the other a game breaker.

Initially, Jacques Kallis will fire up at number three and he is stable and oozes panache. Importantly he is imperturbable to the typical verbal salvo that will bounce off the temple guards of his helmet and with each expletive he will become more indomitable. The exhilarating and spontaneous Jacques Rudolph will most likely hold down the slot at four in the batting order, followed by the emarkably consistent (of late) Neil McKenzie and then Lance Klusener, who on his day can dominate any attack.

The left and right-handed mix could also be a frustrating factor.

As you can observe the line up is balanced and aggressive and the ‘evens’, the numbers two, four and six in the list, can all alter the course of a game in the flash of a Brett Lee thunderbolt. The ‘odds’ aren’t bad support either.

The reality remains that if the South African batsmen are allowed the liberty to play their natural game, we had better strap our seat belts on for one ‘mother’ of a series.

Don’t forget though, the Aussies will have done their homework and they do that better than anyone.

The rivalry will be intense. You’ve got to watch it to believe it.