Cricket: Run machine Kallis expects another ton from his bat

By RICHARD BOOCK

Jacques Kallis has reached that near-subconscious state where he walks out to bat not hoping, but expecting to score a century.

The prolific South African run-scorer yesterday became only the second player after Don Bradman to score centuries in five consecutive tests, and makes no bones about his expectation to score another when the series resumes at Eden Park on Thursday.

"It's certainly something I'm really proud of," he said afterwards. "It's a great honour to be up there in that sort of league. I'm really enjoying my cricket at the moment and I'm obviously going to go out there at Auckland and try to make it six from six - that's my next goal."

Kallis was a constant thorn in the side of the New Zealand bowling attack, making 92 in the first innings, a grafting unbeaten 150 in the second, and closing within one century of the Don's record of six.

One of the most technically correct batsmen on today's test circuit, he has now knitted together consecutive scores of 158, 44, 177, 73, 130 not out, 130 not out, 92 and 150 not out, for an average of 190.80 in his most recent five matches.

That's a far cry from his ignominious start to the international scene in 1995, when he scored 57 runs at 11.4 in his first five tests.

"I've always said that you've got to make the best of good periods," he said.

"I was a little slow when I started my career and in a way it was a blessing in disguise because it really made me appreciate the good times more.

"I learned to not give it away but to keep on batting and make the most of things."

Kallis said he did not merely hope to score centuries when he went out to bat - he believed he would.

"I really did believe I was going to go out there and get a hundred in this test. You've got to believe in yourself."