South Africa face early hurdle

DURBAN, South Africa, Feb 22 (Reuters) Although South Africa have flattered to deceive in each of their four World Cup tournaments, recent form suggests they will again be major contenders in the West Indies next month.

But first they have to play world champions Australia in Basseterre, St Kitts on March 24 in a group match which will decide which team takes two points through to the second round.

''They have one crucial match in the group stages, and that's the game against Australia,'' Kepler Wessels, who played for Australia before captaining his native South Africa, told Reuters.

''They're going to have to try and peak in that match, and from there it's a case of consistency, consistency, consistency.

''But that game will sum up how far South Africa go in the tournament.'' South Africans have suffered dramatic exits in most of their World Cup appearances, which started in 1992 after the end of the country's isolation from international sport because of their apartheid (racial separation) policy.

That year, South Africa reached the semi-finals against England in Sydney only to be thwarted by controversial rain rules that called for them to score 21 runs off one ball.

Four years later in Karachi, South Africa were eliminated in the quarter-finals by a West Indies side who were powered to an upset victory by Brian Lara's brilliant 111.

In 1999 in Birmingham, Lance Klusener and Allan Donald contrived one of the most memorable runouts in cricket history to tie the match and end South Africa's semi-final hopes against Australia.

Ignominy followed on home soil in 2003, when the South Africans failed to read their Duckworth-Lewis target correctly in a first-round match against Sri Lanka. The result was another tie, which resulted in South Africa's elimination.

''In 1992, I think we were dead unlucky,'' said Wessels, who captained South Africa in that tournament. ''In '96 South Africa were definitely the best team at the tournament, but they made tactical errors. The '99 thing was just a moment of madness.'' Wessels said he was confident that South Africa were a good bet to reach the final in Bridgetown, Barbados on April 28.

''I think we have a real chance this time,'' Wessels said. ''If conditions are even slightly seamer-friendly we won't be beaten.'' However, Wessels felt the South Africans were over-reliant on veteran bowler Shaun Pollock and also that they were predictable.

''It's easy to plan to play against them, but they're not easy to beat,'' he said.

Wessels also felt much depended on the form of captain and opening batsman Graeme Smith.

''If Smith fires and plays well with (fellow opener) AB de Villiers, South Africa will be difficult to stop,'' Wessels said.

''The fact that they bat all the way down to Andrew Hall at number eight will also be an important factor.'' REUTERS AY VC0955