Date-stamped : 04 Apr97 - 14:28 Rhodes on Newlands rampage Michael Owen-Smith There is nothing remotely subtle or even-minded about a home town sports fan. And that was the dilemma of the Newlands faithful at the third match of the Standard Bank limited overs series yesterday. They weren't quite sure whether they were cheering superhero Jonty Rhodes or jeering Australian superstar Shane Warne. But either way, they had a whale of a time. And indeed, the jeers for Warne nearly turned to tears as the legspinner threatened to set up an unlikely Australian victory after an early collapse before he and Michael Bevan gave them an outside chance. But in the end Warne was run out by a fine throw from Derek Crookes and South Africa got home by 46 runs. That, in a match which featured no runs from the best twins in the history of cricket - Steve Waugh being bowled first ball and brother Mark unable to bat. But, for the fans, the day and the night belonged to man of the match Rhodes. You can be sure that when South Africa still looked a bit hung over from their Port Elizabeth defeat there was one man who could always get that mental buzz going again and Jonty was that guy. After South Africa had been put into bat on a pitch that was a long way from the "belter" that most experts had predicted, he turned around a hesitant 107 for five after 30 overs into a highly competitive 245 for eight after 50 with 86 of those runs coming in the last 10 overs. Rhodes' contribution was a lifesaving 84 not out off 77 balls that won him an Accolade medal from the sponsors and included partnerships of 70 off 84 balls for the sixth wicket with Derek Crookes and 40 for the seventh off 27 balls with Shaun Pollock. If South African crowds love Jonty more than any other South African cricketer, then they also love to vilify Warne more than any other visitor. When Rhodes hooked the leg-spinner for six to backward square leg, the ball being deposited at the feet of his admiring hordes, they exploded in a frenzy of flag waving and cheering. Even a Union Jack came out which suggests that South Africa is not the only country that has been troubled by the wizardry of the Australian ace. When Pollock joined the fray with successive boundaries, the exuberance was uncontrollable. But the next ball they were booing umpire Rudi Koertzen for giving Pollock out lbw although it was one of the plumbest decisions of the summer. No matter. Rudi Bryson restored the mood by hitting Warne for six and four in a tumultuous final over that meant the legspinner had conceded 40 runs in three overs after going for only 24 in his first seven. If Bryson's batting had the crowd excited, it was nothing compared to his bowling when he uprooted unbowlable Steve Waugh's off-stump first ball to be within a delivery of a hat trick. Jacques Kallis followed that with a direct-hit run out two balls later and Australia were a potentially disastrous 25 for four. They needed 50 overs of Mark Waugh's batting to get back on top. Alas, Waugh was sitting in the pavilion with six stitches in his right hand after dropping a catch at first slip. Had Mark Taylor not dropped himself from the team, Waugh would not have been in the slips and would have been fit to bat at the top of the order. Such are the oddities of criket. On the subject of fateful decisions, the South African selectors could give themselves a pat on the back for trying the new opening combination of Herschelle Gibbs and Louis Koen - they put on 52 for he first wicket - and series debuts to Crookes and Bryson for reasons already mentioned. Source :: The Star Contributed by Tony Hassett