MELBOURNE, Australia, 26 December 2005 — Batsman Justin Kemp, who is suffering from a shoulder injury, withdrew yesterday from the South African team for the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The world’s top-ranked batsman Jacques Kallis will return to the team after missing last week’s drawn first Test in Perth with an elbow injury. Coach Mickey Arthur said the tourists would recall Kallis for Kemp in a straight swap and were also considering choosing left-arm spinner Nicky Boje for swing bowler Charl Langeveldt.
“I guess it made our selection poser a little bit easier for us, but unfortunately he (Kemp) is not available for selection,” Arthur told reporters at the MCG yesterday.
“Kallis will slot in at four, the world’s best player, he’ll bat in a position that he’s quite familiar with.” Arthur said the team would make a final inspection of the drop-in pitch on the morning of the match today before confirming the bowling line-up.
“I guess the final poser will come down to, do we play a four-man seam attack or do we play a spinner?” Arthur said.
“It looks a little bit browner than it did yesterday (Saturday). I think it has dried out quite nicely. I do like going into a Test match with a spinner. I think it gives you greater options. But conditions must allow for that.” Arthur said he expects leg-spinner Stuart MacGill to be the 12th man for Australia and left-arm swing bowler Nathan Bracken to retain his place in the home bowling attack.
“We’ve prepared either way. I’m thinking that they wouldn’t go in with two spinners on that, but who knows?” Arthur said.
Arthur said South Africa’s seven dropped catches had been costly in the Perth Test but his players were confident of going one-up in the three-match series.
“The catches were all pretty tough chances but you’ve got to hang on to those if you want to beat a quality side like Australia,” he said.
“We came out of Perth with a lot more positives possibly than they (Australia) did. We think momentum is with us, quite definitely.” The Proteas, buttressed by Jacques Rudolph’s resolute unbeaten 102, batted throughout the final day of the Perth Test to deprive Australia of their expected victory.
