Injury-hit Kiwis still boast a dangerous bowling unit

what Willemse needs. But it shouldn’t be because of injury to another player. It should be an opportunity given to him because of what he’s shown he can do.

Against the Kings, Willemse stepped his way past three or four defenders at close quarters, and he also gave a superb off-the-ground offload that helped set up fellow debutant Justin Phillips’ try.

And that right there is the kind of player the Stormers need on their matchday roster.

Fleck has said many times that he was all about giving youngsters a chance. That the Stormers have made great strides in terms of giving younger guys some exposure. That they would like to build more depth while taking their game to the next level.

There’s no better time than the present to do so. And giving a player like Willemse a decent shot is a great start.

I mean, Fleck said it himself. After the game, the Stormers coach said “Damian was on for five minutes and had two touches of the ball and he created magic.”

Now wouldn’t it be fantastic to see magic like that every week? To see him step out of trouble and keep the opposition guessing? To see him boost the Stormers’ attack?

It might be tough to get away with some of the things he so constantly tries (if you saw him at junior level you’d know) against certain competition. It might not always work.

But at the very least, if Fleck decides to give Willemse a proper go, Stormers fans can expect a strong forecast of excitement whenever he gets to put on the Stormers jersey. And of course the same applies in the City of Durban. SO WHAT do New Zealand do about their team at the Basin Reserve for the second Test against South Africa?

The answer in the batting department is an easy one, even if the selection of Neil Broom surprised some. Broom will replace the injured Ross Taylor (torn calf ) and probably bat at No 4.

But it’s the make-up of the Kiwi bowling attack that will be under the most scrutiny in the next couple of days.

First there’s the seam-bowling department, where it’s been speculated that Trent Boult only has a “50-50” chance of playing in Wellington after he picked up a hip problem on the fourth day of the Dunedin Test. Boult along with Neil Wagner carried a heavy workload on a sluggish surface in the first Test and physically he’s not shaping up well for the Wellington match.

Which leaves a dilemma for the selectors. Matt Henry’s been called into the squad, but if he plays it lengthens New Zealand’s already long tail.

They do have all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme in the squad and if he starts, it gives New Zealand’s lower order a more solid look. In Boult’s absence, the Black Caps’ bowling attack could look something like this: Tim Southee, Wagner, Jimmy Neesham, De Grandhomme and Jeetan Patel.

Yes, Patel, who only became a consideration during the one-day series because of his ability to nullify SA’s left-hand batsmen. Patel moved ahead of the incumbent Mitchell Santner during the first Test, and while coach Mike Hesson was still saying yesterday that the two were competing for a spot in Wellington, it was the manner in which Kane Williamson used the pair in the first Test that indicated who he preferred.

Patel bowled 69 overs compared to Santner’s 37 in Dunedin, and on the fourth day the latter wasn’t even brought on to bowl until after tea, while Patel had bowled 28 overs in a row.

“They offer something different and one bats a little bit better than the other. It depends on the balance we want to go in with, rather than ranking them one and two,” Hesson said.

And then there’s the nature of the pitch at the Basin Reserve. Rather worryingly, it was revealed yesterday that ground staff hadn’t had a look at the surface since last Friday because of constant rain.

The long-term forecast for the period of the Test starting on Thursday is mostly good, but if the pitch only gets two days of preparation beforehand, the top-order batsmen on both teams better prepare themselves for a rough ride.

“I don’t think ideally we want to play South Africa on a seamer-friendly surface,” said Hesson.

That much was obvious from the surface that was prepared in Dunedin, and apparently it is what awaits the two teams in Hamilton for the final Test, which starts on 25 March.

Captain Faf du Plessis is expecting a “dustbowl” for the third Test and the Proteas are very likely to call up an extra spinner. Conditions, Du Plessis admitted, have surprised the Proteas, who having anticipated green seaming tracks, picked six fast bowlers in their squad.

Before that though, Wellington should provide more assistance than Dunedin for the quicks, particularly given the lack of proper preparation.

In the 2012 Test at the ground, South Africa batted first and posted 474 in their first innings.

They eventually left New Zealand a target of 389 to chase in just over 80 overs and nearly pulled off a win on the final day with Morne Morkel registering careerbest figures of 6/23 as New Zealand, thanks to a century from Williamson hung on for a draw. –