Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - South Africa might have to gamble a bit going into the fourth and final Castle Test against England, starting at the Wanderers on Thursday, said Proteas coach Mickey Arthur.
South Africa go into the match one down, after twice getting within one wicket of victory.
"We've got to win it - we just don't have an option," Arthur told journalists on Monday.
"The gamble will be in the style of cricket we play. It will have to be a little bit more positive, which is a good thing.
"I thought we attacked England very well (in the third Test) at Newlands. We attacked at exactly the right times, and we're more battle-hardened now - and our guys generally play better when that's the case.
"We might also gamble a little bit on the wicket - we'll just have to see what the weather conditions are going to be for the five days."
Arthur acknowledged that the team was under pressure, having to win the match to level the series.
"But there's always pressure in international sport, especially a cricket Test," he said.
"We've got to remain confident, and Graeme and I have got to make sure that the players are not getting any negative vibes from our body language.
"Our dressing room was a very disappointed place after the Test match in Cape Town, but the positives that we took out of it far outweighed the negatives. Even though we drew the game, I felt that we strung together really good pieces of play over those five days.
"I know the boys are smarting, and they want to come out and get a result. I think we've just got better and better in the series, apart from a day and a half (in the second Test) in Durban.
"I think we've played good enough cricket for the series to be one-all."
Arthur said Wayne Parnell, who has been in the one-day side for a year, would probably make his Test debut as one of the three fast bowlers in the attack. Friedel de Wet, who was injured early on in the third Test, has been ruled out because of a back injury.
"It's a long-term injury," said Arthur. "He's not even training with us."
Arthur said he hoped the Wanderers Test would be the first time in the series that South Africa finished with a fully fit first choice bowling attack.
"Dale (Steyn) and Jacques (Kallis) were not available to bowl (in the first Test) in Centurion, they weren't fully fit in Durban, and although we went into the Cape Town Test with a fully-fit bowling attack, Friedel was injured in his fifth over."
The coach said South Africa would probably keep faith with the top six in the batting order, and might consider an all-pace attack for the final Test, although he was reluctant to go into a Test without a spin bowler.
"We'll have a look at the pitch on Wednesday afternoon. I don't like going in without a spinner, and I think Harry (Paul Harris) has done a tremendous job for us."
England wicket-keeper Matt Prior said there was no comfort zone for England, despite their one-nil lead in the series.
"We came here to win the series, and we don't want to go back as the 'nearly men' - the team that nearly won a series," Prior said.
"We want to go back having won the one-day and the Test series."
Prior said it would be a fabulous achievement if England could beat two of the top teams in Test cricket - Australia and South Africa - within a short space of time, after winning the Ashes at home last year.
"But we're not looking too far ahead. We start again on Thursday, and we'll take it ball by ball, hour by hour and session by session.
"We know South Africa will be desperate to win the Test, and they will fight hard, but we will be ready for them."
South Africa go into the match one down, after twice getting within one wicket of victory.
"We've got to win it - we just don't have an option," Arthur told journalists on Monday.
"The gamble will be in the style of cricket we play. It will have to be a little bit more positive, which is a good thing.
"I thought we attacked England very well (in the third Test) at Newlands. We attacked at exactly the right times, and we're more battle-hardened now - and our guys generally play better when that's the case.
"We might also gamble a little bit on the wicket - we'll just have to see what the weather conditions are going to be for the five days."
Arthur acknowledged that the team was under pressure, having to win the match to level the series.
"But there's always pressure in international sport, especially a cricket Test," he said.
"We've got to remain confident, and Graeme and I have got to make sure that the players are not getting any negative vibes from our body language.
"Our dressing room was a very disappointed place after the Test match in Cape Town, but the positives that we took out of it far outweighed the negatives. Even though we drew the game, I felt that we strung together really good pieces of play over those five days.
"I know the boys are smarting, and they want to come out and get a result. I think we've just got better and better in the series, apart from a day and a half (in the second Test) in Durban.
"I think we've played good enough cricket for the series to be one-all."
Arthur said Wayne Parnell, who has been in the one-day side for a year, would probably make his Test debut as one of the three fast bowlers in the attack. Friedel de Wet, who was injured early on in the third Test, has been ruled out because of a back injury.
"It's a long-term injury," said Arthur. "He's not even training with us."
Arthur said he hoped the Wanderers Test would be the first time in the series that South Africa finished with a fully fit first choice bowling attack.
"Dale (Steyn) and Jacques (Kallis) were not available to bowl (in the first Test) in Centurion, they weren't fully fit in Durban, and although we went into the Cape Town Test with a fully-fit bowling attack, Friedel was injured in his fifth over."
The coach said South Africa would probably keep faith with the top six in the batting order, and might consider an all-pace attack for the final Test, although he was reluctant to go into a Test without a spin bowler.
"We'll have a look at the pitch on Wednesday afternoon. I don't like going in without a spinner, and I think Harry (Paul Harris) has done a tremendous job for us."
England wicket-keeper Matt Prior said there was no comfort zone for England, despite their one-nil lead in the series.
"We came here to win the series, and we don't want to go back as the 'nearly men' - the team that nearly won a series," Prior said.
"We want to go back having won the one-day and the Test series."
Prior said it would be a fabulous achievement if England could beat two of the top teams in Test cricket - Australia and South Africa - within a short space of time, after winning the Ashes at home last year.
"But we're not looking too far ahead. We start again on Thursday, and we'll take it ball by ball, hour by hour and session by session.
"We know South Africa will be desperate to win the Test, and they will fight hard, but we will be ready for them."
