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AB de Villiers

Zaahier Adams

in Auckland

EVERYTHING in New Zealand operates methodically and clinically. They’re not quite the Swiss or the Germans, but buses and trains run on time, drivers adhere to the speed limit, and generally things work like they’re supposed to.

Proteas captain AB de Villiers will be hoping it is this type of performance his team can deliver when they arrive here at Eden Park for tomorrow’s series-deciding Twenty20 game against the Black Caps.

Although the series is tied at 1-1, De Villiers’ outfit have not yet played to their potential on this tour. After being blown away in the Wellington opener, the Proteas muscled back into the series through a record-breaking innings from young Richard Levi.

The nature of Levi’s innings – it was a once-in-a-lifetime 45-ball century – has though masked some areas of the Proteas game which have not functioned efficiently so far on this tour.

The new ball, for the second match in succession, failed to yield multiple breakthroughs. Off-spinner Johan Botha’s elevation to sharing it with Lonwabo Tsotsobe brought some control during that period, but the in-form Kiwi opening pair of Martin Guptill and Rob Nicol were able to exploit the six power-play overs.

Tsotsobe has been South Africa’s “go-to-man” in recent times up front, especially since regular pace spearhead Dale Steyn has been put on T20 ice since the tour of the West Indies in 2010, which was nine games ago. But the lanky left-armer Tsotsobe has gone wicketless in the first two games – very odd for South Africa’s Pro20 Player of the Year.

To lay the blame solely at Tsotsobe’s door would be foolhardy. Players often speak of bowling well as a group, and likewise they currently are falling short together. The lines have been too inconsistent, and sometimes it appears as if bowling on one side of the wicket is a sin.

The challenge is to remedy this collectively tomorrow at the Rugby World Cup final venue, in a match that De Villiers is describing as a “final”.

“We still haven’t put together a perfect performance. I thought we batted well in Hamilton, but we were still 10 to 20% short in the bowling. We had a good work-out, the facilities were good, hit a few long balls and worked hard in the nets,” De Villiers said yesterday.

The focus on the bowling comes as the calls for Levi to be kept on in New Zealand for the coming three-match ODI series continue to grow.

“There is nothing procedurally to prevent them (from adding one name to the currently 14-strong SA ODI squad,” opined former international bowler and commentator Craig Matthews.

“I’d be shocked and very surprised if there hasn’t been, or very soon will be, a chat between Gary (Kirsten) and Hudders (selection convener Andrew Hudson) agreeing that Levi should stay on after the T20s – even if it is just to give New Zealand’s bowlers more sleepless nights.”

Former national captain Kepler Wessels has already added his own weight to the “extend Levi’s ticket” campaign in a column.

“Amazingly there seems to be doubt in some quarters whether Levi should be playing in the one-day internationals as well,” Wessels said.

“The answer is simple: of course he must be added... and he should open in all of them. Why not use him and expose him to the 50-over game as well? A decision not to do so will be selection madness.”

De Villiers went on to say: “This is an important series, and while our overall wish is to play a good standard of cricket, not focusing on the results but trying to get to a certain level we want to play, we also know tomorrow is a big game. We want to start winning finals and tomorrow is a final.”

Tomorrow’s match also presents De Villiers with a few more tests, especially in relation to the diameters of the ground. Seddon Park’s square boundaries were particularly short, emphasised by Levi’s fondness for attacking that area on Sunday, but it is straight down the ground here that has every international captain leaving the Auckland venue with a few more grey hairs.

“It is unique, there’s no doubt about that. We are not used to it, but I think we have adapted quite well thus far. We’ve been keeping the third man squarer and that type of thing. As a batsman you definitely try and target the shorter areas, and when bowling you try and defend it. It is something that can be controlled,” De Villiers added.

He also rubbished suggestions that the visitors have been taken aback by any on-field comments by the Kiwis.

Tomorrow’s squads

South Africa: Richard Levi, Hashim Amla, Robin Peterson, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Justin Ontong, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Colin Ingram, Rusty Theron, Marchant de Lange.

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Michael Bates, Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson.

Start: 8am, SA time. TV: SS2