Cricket: Trist stunned by his players' lack of fight

PORT ELIZABETH - David Trist saw the test series against South Africa flash before his eyes yesterday during one of New Zealand's most spectacular batting collapses in, well, all of 18 months.

The man who is expected to announce his intention to stand down as New Zealand coach at the end of the home summer campaign, had the look of a person who had just witnessed a cataclysmic event when he left St George's Park, where his side had managed to fall over in less than five hours to concede the second test and the series.

Whatever fighting spirit was supposed to be in evidence was missing as South Africa bowled New Zealand out for 148 in a mere 69.3 overs on the fourth day, to leave themselves the trifling task of knocking up 86 to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Not since New Zealand crumpled for 107 in the first innings against England at Edgbaston in July of last year have they been bowled out so cheaply, and on that occasion, they were able to recover in the subsequent tests to win the series.

In something of a contrast, the immediate question hanging over this New Zealand side involves whether they can recover in time to avert a beating at Johannesburg, where the third and final test begins on Friday.

Trist has been given plenty of frights by his side in the past, but looked drained of colour yesterday after watching them collapse like one of those professionally demolished skyscrapers, with Mark Richardson's 60 lying among the debris as the only seemingly meaningful score.

"It was very hard to turn things around," Trist said. "You could see what was happening, but as a coach you can't sing and dance for the batsmen. You have to respect their individual preparation, and they were just disappointing.

"Losing Mathew Sinclair and Stephen Fleming on either side of lunch seemed to set a mood which pervaded the scene and things felt somewhat despondent - we were hugely disappointed, everything was taken from us in the space of one session."

New Zealand were not helped by a deteriorating pitch or an umpire (Zimbabwean Ian Robinson) who seemed quite keen to get proceedings over as quickly as possible, and at one stage even managed to give Shayne O'Connor out lbw when he had been bowled.

But with all the mitigating circumstances in the world, the tourists were still guilty of some feeble batsmanship, with the resistance from tailenders Brooke Walker and Shayne O'Connor highlighting the lack of organisation in some of their team-mates' game-plans.

Between lunch and tea New Zealand crumpled from 58 for two to 127 for seven.

Of the top order, Craig Spearman, Sinclair and Craig McMillan were trapped in front - McMillan after offering no shot to the first ball he received - while Fleming jammed an innocuous looking delivery from Nicky Boje to first slip, and Nathan Astle was caught behind after flaying at width.

Richardson seemed to hold the key to the ongoing resistance, but was the first of three wickets which fell in the space of six deliveries as New Zealand crashed from 111 for three to 115 for six.

' "Quite clearly, cutting on that wicket to that kind of ball was not an appropriate shot," said Trist, "and Mark would have kicked himself quite hard afterwards, because he had made a good start.

"On the other hand, it's becoming increasingly clear that we've found an opening batsman who, through performance, is showing he's going to be one of the best around in the world."

Trist said he would give the players a couple of days off before the third test, but insisted the side would concentrate on taking their chances at the Wanderers, rather than having one eye on the flight home.

"If I was being real honest, I'd say the tour's been very arduous and draining, but we see this as another game and another opportunity to show people what we're capable of. There was an opportunity for us in the second test ... but we let it slip through our hands."