Power of Klusener could do well in America

The season for Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa was like a soap opera with a fairytale ending, as they both powered a small white baseball out of stadiums around the USA with regularity rarely witnessed.

Individually they hit more home runs than any man preceding them, and together they brought the game of baseball to life in a host of countries by belting balls miles into the air and into the hands of their adoring fans.

The great Babe Ruth, who was famous for his fantastic ability to strike massive home runs, would have been proud of the achievements of these two modern day heroes.

If McGwire and Sosa, had been anywhere within the vicinity of Trent Bridge this evening, they would have been impressed by Lance Klusener's incredible power hitting.

Although there are no home runs in our wonderful game, sixes are the equivalent reward for striking our small white ball out of the park. Such was the power of Klusener's hitting that it would be no surprise if he were snapped up by one of the Major League baseball clubs in America.

If the New York Yankees manager, for example, just happened to be watching the highlights of today's brilliant World Cup encounter while on holidays in the UK, he may soon be on the telephone to his scouts to check out this brutal striker of the cricket ball. Klusener has already earned this big-hitting reputation over the last few years. But in the World Cup he has almost single-handedly won matches for the South Africans.

Having a man of his ferocious game-turning potential is enough to give any opposing team nervous trembles reserved for standing toe to toe with Mike Tyson before a world title fight.

It is not only his power displays of batting that have been impressive, but also the consistency with which he has exposed all bowlers in this competition. This is perhaps the most admirable aspect of his batting thus far, as he has consistently made a difference to his team's performance while wielding his huge railway sleeper of a bat.

There are other international batsmen who have the raw ability to come in and smash a few big sixes and score runs quickly, but often this is a hit-or-miss affair where it may come off successfully every four or five innings. To be not out in every innings of this tournament is a sign that he is scoring vital runs as well as doing so when it really counts. A sign of a player who handles pressure without too many problems.

Like the Australians yesterday, the depth in the South Africans' batting line-up makes them formidable in this tournament. At one stage they looked in real trouble having lost five wickets, but the interesting points every time the scorecard was flashed onto the television screen, were the names of Klusener and Mark Boucher still to come. No matter how good a team looks on paper they still have to perform under pressure and it can only help when players of the calibre of these men are following the so-called big guns of their batting order.

Today's performance by the South Africans was a wonderful fighting effort against outstanding opposition. To win such a close encounter will be a monumental confidence boost to a side that seems very closely-knit already. It looks to me like their incredible team spirit is an unquestionable factor helping South Africa's progression. As crazy and minor as it may sound, I watched them in the drinks break today and the way they were standing in a huddle, talking and buzzing "together" was an ominous sign.

From my experience, strong team spirit and camaraderie is the glue that keeps the most successful sides together, especially under pressure. Without having been in the South African camp, I would say this glue is beginning to set when it counts.

The 1999 World Cup is just starting to turn from a flame to a bonfire. Absolutely brilliant entertainment!

E-mail Justin Langer

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