Batting to blame for loss - Fleming

By Jonathan Millmow
From Stuff, 31 March 2004

New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming pointed the finger fair and square at his batsmen after bombing a golden opportunity to record a historic series win against South Africa.

New Zealand only needed to play solid cricket in the third and final test to write their way into the record books, but they let themselves down at the final hurdle with a mixture of indisciplined and tentative batting.

Fleming raised his hand highest when summing up the batting woes at the Basin Reserve and he steered clear of using excuses – such as the food poisoning that swept through the camp and the loss to injury of dead-eye seamer Daryl Tuffey – to explain the third test failure.

"Batting-wise, we just didn't get enough runs," Fleming said.

"We looked at the outcome more than we should've, but it was a big prize up for grabs and I think we were a little bit cautious."

New Zealand were upset in this match by the sustained pace and bounce of Andre Nel. He was probably the last player they feared going into the test but the hot-headed Nel unsettled them on Sunday afternoon and ultimately turned the test South Africa's way.

Fleming was downhearted by his efforts in the series, scoring just 101 runs in five innings, but in particular his innings at the Basin of 30 and nine.

"I should have played a bigger role in this series, and I wanted to be the one who contributed most of the runs," Fleming said. "That's perhaps where this test got away."

New Zealand were never in the hunt yesterday. South Africa began the day at 82-3 chasing 234 to square the series. The pitch offered nothing to the bowlers and the number of balls that beat the bat could be counted on one hand.

"It wasn't lost today, it was lost both times when we batted, we didn't get enough runs for our bowlers to play with," Fleming said.

New Zealand's trumpcard was Chris Martin, but South African captain Graeme Smith handled him distinctly better than his teammates and with the outgoing Gary Kirsten produced a quality ending to a fascinating test.

Smith is as impressive on the field as he is off it and his unbeaten 125 was a victory for a young man who never takes a backward step and would climb over burning coals for his country.

At the other end was Kirsten, the little left-hander, who plays almost alongside the ball but is nevertheless hugely effective.

The new and old generation brought South Africa home and the only shame was that Kirsten was not there to hit the winning runs in his 101st and final test.

He was adjudged leg before wicket on 74 by Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva, whose willingness to put the finger up was cancelled out by his partner Aleem Dar's reticence to raise his.

Kirsten and Smith set a fourth wicket record for South Africa against New Zealand of 171 and Kirsten departed to a guard of honour by his teammates, a move that reduced him to tears.

"This is pretty much the highlight of my test career," Kirsten said after the six-wicket win, which came at 1.35pm.

"To bat with Smithy and get a decent partnership to win a test match under these circumstances is very satisfying."

Smith also rated his 295-minute effort as a career highlight.

"It is probably one of my most satisfying knocks. Under pressure, the team under pressure, coming out today and realising I had to bat through and doing it means a lot to me."

Meanwhile, there was no word on Chris Cairns' test future last night. A decision is expected in the next couple of days.