Kallis promises a different South Africa

JACQUES KALLIS has promised a different South Africa side will turn out today after a rare one-day loss opened their NatWest Series campaign against England.

Graeme Smith’s men were defeated for the first time in 10 limited-overs internationals at Headingley last Friday. The Proteas came into the five-match campaign, which continues with a Trent Bridge day-nighter today, needing to secure a 4-1 victory to return to the top of the one-day rankings.

But their chances of leapfrogging world champions Australia were undermined by what Kallis termed their poorest performance in recent memory.

“From a team point of view it was the worst display we have had for probably two years,” all-rounder Kallis said.

“We have had some time to sit down and reflect, and get into the nets to practice, but it is more of a mental change than a skills type of thing. The guys will come out and you will see a different side tomorrow.

“We arrived at the game and played it without really thinking about it — you can’t do that at this level. Certainly not to the standard we have played over the last two years.

“You can’t perform against top sides in the world at 65-70%. You have to be close to 100% if you want to beat those sides, especially the way England played such a good game all-round.”

South Africa have struggled since the focus of their tour went from Test series victory to one-day mode earlier this month. A combination of a first campaign win in Britain since the 1960s and persistent rain wrecking meaningful practice has combined to knock them out of their groove.

But the South Africans have pride in their status as a limited-overs team and will be striving on a collective level as hard as Kallis will on a personal one.

Kallis struck 52 in Leeds to offer a reminder of the form which deserted him during the 2-1 Test triumph.

The 32-year-old, scorer of 30 Test centuries, managed only 104 runs in the series, just eight more than tail-ender Paul Harris.

“Hopefully I can turn things around in the one-day series and get some big runs. The whole tour I have never felt badly out of form, I have got a few good nuts along the way and a couple of balls I didn’t see, which is an interesting combination.”