South Africa's Cricket Circus.

The English cricket team has been touring South Africa for more than two months now.

Watching the team on TV, first in the test matches, and now in the one day games I am wondering just how this team will do against the Australians in the Ashes series in a few months time.

It always seems strange to me that when visiting teams arrive in South Africa they either get so badly beaten by the Proteas that it is embarrassing to watch or the local side gets a hiding from the overseas visitors making locals turn off their TV's in disgust.

This tour by the British has been different.

The test matches were exciting affairs with both teams getting the upper hand at times in the games.

South Africa eventually losing the Test series by 2-1 to the English.

The One Day series has also been quite exciting with some contentious selections by both teams.

The English fast bowler Harmison is one of the leading wicket takers of 2004 but here in South Africa he has not been able to get the ball in the right places and to add to is woes has injured himself as well.

Harmison however keeps his place in the side while some of their other bowlers have been far more effective when given games.

South Africa have done the same thing causing much comment by the media with their selections.

The Proteas test opening batsman A B de Villiers was dropped after scoring nearly 200 runs in the fifth test.

It appears that in both teams if you are a newby and are selected and do well in a game you will not play in the next game.

The old stalwarts in the team can go out for ducks for five games in a row and keep their places.

Herschel Gibbs is one of those players.

He normally scores a big 100 once in a series and then is good enough to keep his place for the rest of the series.

With the start of the one day series he has been dropped down the order from the opening role and has scored runs in all four games he has played.

Herschel is NOT an opening batsman anymore and plays better against the older ball.

Keep him there!

Today the circus arrived in Cape Town for the 4th game of the series.

The Proteas lost the first game in the series, and then proceeded to chase a large total batting second in the second game to end in a tie.

Going into the 3rd game 1-0 down in the series they finally got their act together and won the game.

Today at Newlands on a brillaint batting wicket the English captain Vaughn lost his marbles and put South Africa into bat.

De Villiers opened the way for the SA batsmen by hitting a six off the second ball of the day.

Suffice to say that the English chased leather for the rest of the S A innings and ended up having to chase 291 runs to win.

Their batting on the day was dismal and they ended up losing by 108 runs.

S A has done this to them on many occasions during the tour and yet somehow the Englsih managed to fight their way back and win the test series.

After today they are 2-1 down in the one day series with three games to go.

If the truth be known SA's best batsmen will be dropped for the next game and Pollock will be left out to be replaced by someone who cannot bowl.

Why do our selectors always have to make changes that are not necesary, and when we eventually get into a winning mode some politician will force a change to weaken the team.

As an avid supporter of the SA team for the last 40 odd years I think I have seen it all.

Yet with the selectors we have these days I am not so sure anymore.

Geoff Fairman