Peter Pollock, convenor of the selectors, points out that there is a gap of almost a week between the last group match against Zimbabwe in Chelmsford and the start of the Super Six series. There will therefore be plenty of opportunity for Donald and his teammates to recharge their batteries.

Hansie Cronje, the captain, says that it is important to maintain the momentum created by three successive wins. It can also be argued that the top batsmen have yet to hit consistent form and will welcome a good innings against the weak Kenyan attack.

The counter argument though is that in a ten-match tournament there is every likelihood of injury affecting at least one key player. It would seem sensible to get all 15 men in the squad into some sort of match fitness in case they are needed later on. If a Donald or a Shaun Pollock broke down on the eve of the semifinal or final, it would be comforting to know that Alan Dawson or Nicky Boje was bowling well.

The team will only be announced on the morning of the match and it may yet be that some changes will be made to the side that beat Sri Lanka and England. On a slow pitch, Boje might return to the side to bowl his left-arm spin. Getting at least one of Dawson, Derek Crookes or Dale Benkenstein would also seem to make sense.

Kenya are probably a better side than that beaten two-and-a-half years ago. Since gaining official one-day international status they have had some respectable performances, despite a base of a league containing only ten teams. In six matches against the vastly more populous Bangladesh they lead 5-1, while they gained a famous victory over India in Gwalior last May.

In the World Cup they have topped 200 in all three of their innings, with Steve Tikolo, who had a season with Border, confirming that he is a quality batsman by scoring 71 against England and 58 against India. They are coached by Alvin Kallicharran, the mercurial and gifted former West Indies and Transvaal left-handed batsman.

Kenya's bowling has been powderpuff, however, and they have conceded 764 runs while taking only eight wickets.

They would not have been encouraged to see how small the VCA ground in Amstelveen is compared to most international venues. A mishit by Lance Klusener would easily sail into a small canal just beyond the southern boundary.

South Africa played in Amstelveen last year, beating Holland by 83 runs during a diversion from their tour of England. They found the pitch to be true but slow and found themselves 112 for five before century-maker Gary Kirsten and Mark Boucher put on 123 and enabled them to reach 248 for six.

It is an attractive venue, a short walk through a forest from the main Amstelveen road. It is part of a complex of sports facilities, which include another, smaller, cricket ground. There are abundant trees and the grass is a lush green. The only discordant note comes from above. The ground is on the flight path into Schiphol airport and jets fly low over the ground about every 40 seconds.

Contributed by management (help@cricinfo.com)

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Source: The Sunday Times