Tour of New Zealand 1998-99          Captain: Hansie Cronje

25th official test tour

Fifth Test-playing tour of New Zealand by South Africa

 (February - March 1999)

South Africa made its first full tour of New Zealand since 1963-64, apart from a one-off centenary Test meeting in 1995. The team’s confidence was high after routing the West Indies 5-0 but weather and pitches prevented them from beating New Zealand so easily. Both Test and one-day series were won by a margin of only one match.

The first Test match at Auckland was played on a tame surface that offered no bowlers any hope, and South Africa racked up more than 600 runs, with Cullinan making a record double century score, before New Zealand batted out the match with ease. Christchurch was badly affected by rain but time enough for Gibbs to make another double century. Only at Wellington where the weather and pitch permitted a finish, did South Africa secure the series, Gibbs and Cullinan adding yet more runs to their tallies. Both batsman recorded extraordinary averages.

There were three players of colour - Adams, Gibbs and Mpitsang - in the touring squad but the on-tour selection panel believed that, according to the quota system, they had to be part of the team only for the Test series rather than in one-day internationals and left them out, which raised a storm back in South Africa.

Other South African tours

Previous Tour

England 1998

Next tour

Zimbabwe 1999-00

Next tour of  New Zealand

2003-04

Members of the Test tour party (16)

Opening batsmen  Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs.

Middle-order batsmen  Daryll Cullinan, Dale Benkenstein, Hansie Cronje, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes.

Wicket-keeper  Mark Boucher

Spin bowlers  Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Pat Symcox.

Fast bowlers  Allan Donald, Steve Elworthy, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Victor Mpitsang.

Representation of teams:   

Br - Border (1)

FS  - Free State (4)

G  - Gauteng (1)

KZN - Kwa Zulu Natal (5)

N - Northerns (1)

WP - Western Province (4)

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(27 February 1999) :

       26 yrs  10 months

Test Appearances made before the tour

Cronje 56,  Donald 52,  Kirsten 50,  Cullinan 45,  Rhodes 41,  Pollock 30,  Kallis 24,  Adams 21,  Symcox 20, Klusener 17,  Boucher 16,  Gibbs 11,  Elworthy 1,  Benkenstein 0,  Boje 0,  Mpitsang 0.

Team Officials

Selectors

Peter Pollock (convenor of selectors),  ………

Selection

Unavailable:   Dave Richardson and Fanie de Villiers had announced their retirements.

Tour Party Announced :  28 January 1999.

Not selected :  Derek Crookes;  fast bowler Makhaya Ntini (who was facing a charge of rape and was scheduled to appear in court during the tour) was not selected but Pollock said he was left out solely because of his poor form.

Withdrawal :   David Terbrugge (Gauteng) on 1 February because of an ankle injury.  He was replaced by Steve Elworthy.

Time between selection and departure from South Africa

  12 days

  (28 January - 9 February)

Travel

The team left Johannesburg for New Zealand on Tuesday 9 February, flying via Sydney and arriving at Christchurch on 11 February . They flew to Queenstown on the evening of 12 February to prepare for the tour opener at Alexandra next day

Head coach Bob Woolmer stayed behind to remain with his very ill father in Cape Town. Coaching duties were taken over by assistant coach Graham Ford until his arrival.

Time spent in New Zealand

   49 days

(11 February - 1 April)

On-tour selection panel

Reinforcements

None.  It was always planned that Symcox would fly home after the first three ODIs but the option to recall him after the Test series was not used.

Allan Donald was unable to play in every match because of a stomach muscle strain.

Fixtures/Results

† not first-class

§  one-day international

Time spent in New Zealand before First Test:  16 days

(11 February - 27 February)

Test appearances on tour

3  -  Adams,  Boucher,  Cronje,  Cullinan,  Gibbs,  Kallis,  Kirsten,  Klusener,  Pollock,  Rhodes

2  -  Donald

1  -  Elworthy

0  -  Benkenstein,  Boje,  Mpitsang,  Symcox.

Highlights

•   Daryll Cullinan scored 275* at Auckland, the highest Test score by a South African.

•   He scored 427 Test runs for once out, and won a car as New Zealand’s international player of the season.

•   Herschelle Gibbs was almost as prolific, scoring 34, 211*, 120 and 0 in the Test matches.

•   In such a high scoring series, Pollock took 13 wickets at an average of 16 including 5-33 at Wellington.

Tour Summary

Return to South Africa

Symcox flew home on 21 February, after the third one-day international.

The last match was abandoned on Wednesday 31 March, allowing the team to take an early flight home from Wellington by Singapore Airlines, via Sydney, on Thursday 1 April, arriving in South Africa next day.

Time away from South Africa    52 days  

  (9 February - 2 ApriI)

Finances