LEFT ARM OVER
NEIL MANTHORP: End-of-season blues a test of Proteas’ resolve to win series against New Zealand
Faf du Plessis has experienced almost nothing but success in his Test captaincy career so far and his only taste of one pasting — a common malaise, end-of-tour blues syndrome — was inconsequential with the series against Australia already having been won by the time they were defeated in the day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval in November 2016. In Hamilton, at the end of a gruelling season, the end-of-term blues will be far more difficult to combat. An inspirational innings from New Zealand’s captain, Kane Williamson, has set up the likelihood of a substantial first-innings lead, which would leave the Proteas with little or no chance of winning, always an added burden when batting on the final day. The pitch at Seddon Park has finally started to revert to type, drying to a dull brown and offering much encouragement to the spinners.Neither Jeetan Patel’s off-spin nor the left-arm spin of Mitchell Santner are daunting, let alone unplayable, but if they have more than 120 overs t...
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