South Africans have strong bowlers: Mike Hesson

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has stated the risk of underestimating their opponents South Africa when the Kiwis make the trip down south from Zimbabwe to play a Test series against Sri Lanka. Hesson stated that the South Africans had a quality pace attack and were supremely dangerous in their own conditions.

Mike Hesson also went on to point out that the Proteas bowlers had some fantastic variety as well as bowlers who could extract bounce as well as swing from the surfaces. “From a seam bowling point of view, they are strong, they have got a lot of variety,” Hesson said on Monday (August 15). “They have some bounce bowlers, some good swing bowlers, some seam bowlers so that will provide its own challenges.”

Hesson also went on to single out Vernon Philander as one of the biggest threats to the New Zeland batsmen.”Vernon has played a lot of cricket recently so he has got loads of overs under his belt. He is a high-quality bowler. We saw him at his best a few years ago,” Hesson pointed out. “He hits lovely lengths and we know he is going to provide a challenge there, most likely with the new ball.

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Hesson also added that Kagiso Rabada, as well as the dryness of the wickets in South Africa, could be the deciding factor in the series. “In terms of Kagiso Rabada, he has got pace, bounce, and skill and he is fresh so he keeps running in at you hard. He is someone we are going to have to spend a bit of time on. We know he is a quality bowler. And then when you’ve got Dale Steyn at the other end, there is no let off.”

“It depends on how dry the wicket is,” he said. “If we think it’s going to turn – it turned during the one-dayers last year – we might play two spinners. We wouldn’t be afraid playing two spinners if we felt that it was going to be dry and turn.”

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