New Zealand focus on tougher South African challenge
BULAWAYO (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is taking several positives from his team's two test wins over Zimbabwe as the tourists head across the border for an expected tougher challenge against South Africa.
New Zealand clinched a 2-0 series win in Bulawayo on Wednesday, matches that served as a warm-up for the two-test series against South Africa, the first test starting in Durban on Friday week.
"There were some really good things that we can take into that series," Williamson told reporters on Wednesday.
"The way the seamers bowled was fantastic, our batsmen spent a lot of time in the middle which was another positive and also for our spinners to come into it. "But, at the same time, South Africa are a different proposition and in different conditions. So I guess that while the learnings are a positive, the approach and our preparations will be different. It’s not starting afresh, but it’s looking at what’s coming up and preparing accordingly."
Williamson said selection for the first test would depend on conditions but hinted at changes from the line-up that played both tests at the Queens Sport Club against Zimbabwe -- the first won by an innings and 117 runs and the second by 254 runs.
"We have some good seamers who haven’t had a go yet and a very good off spinner in Mark Craig," he said.
"We have plenty of options to look at. We are up against an extremely strong side and we’ll have to be at our best to keep making those improvements we have been showing."
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Andrew Both)