SA v Aus - 1st ODI

South Africa head into the 1st ODI at Durban with a great sense of purpose - and as favourites somewhat. After winning the two T20 internationals in convincing fashion, but simply showing more nerve than the Aussies, the Proteas have got no reason to doubt themselves.

South African cricket might be getting a touch carried away with their "reward for good perfomances" policy. They first kept Roelof Van der Merwe in the squad for the ODI after his unconventional batting and expert fielding and bowling performances in the second T20. Second, they award left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell with a national contract. Sure, both of them show promise. Maybe giving them a taste of the big time will keep them hungry. Only time will tell how wise these decisions are. The older lot, Andre Nel and newly-named Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2009 Dale Benkenstein and Neil McKenzie must be cursing. Surely there is a case for CSA being ageist.

Anyway, bakc to the task at hand. Durban.

Track: Good pace and bounce; given that the game kicks off at 2:30, it often works best to bat first and back your bowlers with a swinging ball later on. It's a small ground, so runs are easy to come by, but its a ground where you can defend easily enough (unlike the Wanderers).

Conditions: Humidity does allow for the ball to swing. Bowling first can often be a tricky prospect, it is still quite hot and sapping for the rest of the game.

Teams: South Africa bringing Smith back as captain and opener. They draw great inspiration from him, but lets not underestimate the influence and performances of Johan Botha - a man who is somewhat uncomfortable with the limelight. No Kallis, which will please some quarters. But his overall calm at the crease and underrated bowling (by South Africans, but highly rated by everyone else in the world) is invaluable.

Austrlia's batters looked quite out of touch depite David Hussey, who got runs in both T20 internationals. Ponting, Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke just looked rushed and never at home in this version of the game. Look out, once again, for Marcus North. Bags of experience and a Kallis-type temprament. His off-spinners could do a job for Ponting again with a set of bowlers that is heavily reliant on the pace of Johnson and the flight and guile of the aliceband-brandishing Bracken.

Johan Botha may well be the difference, outclassing players like James Hopes and the highly-rated (for no apparent reason) Cameron White.

Series will be close though!