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| |  Wednesday, 10 April, 2002, 09:42 GMT 10:42 UK Australia 'raise the benchmark' Australia have beaten SA 13 times this season South Africa captain Shaun Pollock has paid tribute to Australia at the end of a marathon series between the two sides. The home side gained a consolation 65-run victory in the seventh and final one-day international at Newlands on Tuesday. But in back-to-back tours that have seen the sides meet in six Tests and 11 one-day internationals, Australia have refuted any claim to their place at the top of the world game. "Australia have raised the benchmark of how cricket should be played," said Pollock. "They are the Tiger Woods of cricket the way they have played over the last few years." South Africa surrendered the Test series in Australia 3-0 and, without their injured captain, were on the wrong end of a 2-1 Test verdict at home. Although they emerged victorious from the VB triangular series in Australia, South Africa's one-day record against the Aussies this season ended at a miserable 8-2, with one tie. Refreshed Ricky Ponting replaced Steve Waugh at the helm of the limited-overs side after the stuttering series at home. And the refreshed squad responded by winning five matches in the Republic.
But Pollock refused to admit that the results handed Australia the advantage for the World Cup, beginning in South Africa next February, "We can beat anyone on our day if we play well," he said. Ponting admitted that the tourists had been thinking of the flight home as they succumbed in a rain hit final match, bowled out for 186 after Pollock's early three-wicket burst. "Half of ourselves was out there [on the field] and the other half on the plane home tomorrow," he said. "It's disappointing to lose the last game but its been a good tour and we've played good cricket." World Cup Coach John Buchanan said Australia's victory in this series was not an immediate justification for dumping Steve Waugh, and brother Mark. "Time will be the test of that. At the moment we've had a snapshot and it all looks progressively quite good," Buchanan said. "The real test of all that will become clear at the end of the World Cup. "Even though we've had a very good result here I'm sure there is still a lot of experience we're lacking on the field.
Ponting was not satisfied with his bowlers as they struggled through the last matches on tour in unhelpful conditions And Buchanan wanted more help for frontline quicks Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie. "McGrath and Gillespie bowled well 70-80% of the time through the series," he said. "But our back-up with Brett Lee, Ian Harvey, Andy Bichel and Shane Watson hasn't given us the follow-up that we're looking for in those post-15 overs through to 35. "And we haven't finished off well either. We have to stack up for 50 overs, game after game if we're going to find our way into a reasonable position in the [World Cup] Super Six and hopefully go beyond that." | |
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