South Africa rains on Kiwi hopes and aspirations

It would be fair to say that the thing we have seen most in South Africa so far has been the rain!

The amount of rain interruptions so far this tour has been amazing and very frustrating.

After playing games on great cricket wickets previously all the batters on both sides knew they would be in for a different challenge here in Durban.

A lot of cloud cover in the days leading up to the game meant the wicket was probably not as dry as the groundsman would've liked and whoever won the toss would be asking the opposition to bat.

Shaun Pollock did so and we lost both our openers in the first four overs. Steve Fleming and Roger Twose battled on and with noticeably different ways of going about it.

Roger tried to counteract the effect of the pitch by going after the bowling and trying to hit the South Africans off their line whereas Flem was patient and intent on leaving anything in the danger area.

I joined Flem after Jacques Kallis dismissed Roger and we both identified that anything in the 180 region was going to be tough to get.

We lost a couple of more wickets and when the rain came we all thought that might be the end of the game as in Potchefstroom.

The ground did drain very well and we ended up with a revised score courtesy of the Duckworth/Lewis system, which mean the South Africans chasing 150 off 32 overs.

Early wickets were going to be the key to us staying in the game and we got off to a great start removing both openers.

They played and missed a few times but on this wicket you really did need to have luck on your side.

With Nicky Boje and Jonty Rhodes out, Lance Klusener came to the wicket and proceeded to do what he does best and clout the ball to all parts.

As much as he saw the game home, the credit for seeing the South Africans home had to go to Kallis who played a patient innings and laid the foundation for his side.

Once again for us it was not quite having the South Africans enough wickets down at the dying stages to really but them under pressure.

Our last one-day game is here in Cape Town and will be my last one here in South Africa.

My knee is not going to withstand the rigours of Test cricket and the best decision is to come home and try to get it right for the home series. I just hope to leave South Africa on a winning note!