Much as the visitors to that Bethlehem stable 2 000 years ago looked to the baby lying in a manger for miraculous deeds, it is new coach Gary Kirsten who South African cricket fans are expecting to transform their team from nearly-men into ruthless dominators.

2011 brought yet another year of World Cup heartbreak and it is Kirsten, and AB de Villiers, who was named as the new limited-overs captain after the tournament, who will be picking up the cudgels and trying to give 2012’s story a very different, happy ending.

South Africa’s recent test record bears comparison to their ODI shortcomings because they have also just failed to nail down the ultimate prize – the number one ranking – despite fielding some of the greatest players in the game and periodically producing performances of sheer class.

An inability to ruthlessly dispatch opposition who are on the back foot stands in South Africa’s way in both formats.

MENTAL FRAGILITY

In the World Cup, the bowlers – thought to be the weak link before the tournament – could not be accused of not fulfilling their side of the deal as they bowled out all their opposition in the six group matches and then restricted New Zealand to 221 for eight in the quarterfinal.

But the mental fragility of the batsmen was once again to the fore as they unravelled in the face of unsavoury Kiwi aggression, the same old numb feeling of devastation returning to their Dhaka changeroom, as it had before in Sydney, Karachi, Edgbaston, Kingsmead and Beausejour.

That World Cup failure is South African cricket’s biggest wound is obvious and a whole new generation of the infected was launched in Dhaka in March. It is equally as obvious that as soon as Kirsten had steered India to the title – chasing down an imposing 275 in the final against Sri Lanka – that Cricket South Africa would be desperate for their former opening batsman to take over the reins of the Proteas.

The short visit of Australia at the start of the 2011/12 season only served to ram home the point, however, that South Africa’s batsmen often falter at the most critical times.

After the incredible victory at Newlands, where Australia were bowled out for a scarcely-believable 47, the visitors, a pale shadow of their former selves, arrived at the Wanderers ripe for the killing. South Africa won an important toss and batted first in perfect conditions, with Australia then falling a bowler short when Shane Watson limped off injured.

But instead of bludgeoning the weakened Australian attack, South Africa were bowled out in a day for 266. And they did something similar in the second innings too, slipping from 237 for three to 339 all out.

The beleagured Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson engineered a series-levelling two-wicket victory and South Africa had still not won a series at home in four attempts, dating back to 2008/9.

Sri Lanka followed Australia to these shores and were blown away by an innings on a grassy Centurion pitch, and the nation now waits with bated breath for the Proteas to finish the job in Durban over the last few days of the year and finally get rid of that unwanted home series statistic.

TALL TREES

South Africa still boast some of the tallest trees in world cricket’s forest though.

Jacques Kallis was the number one ranked batsman in the world after his twin centuries against India at Newlands at the start of the year and has a firm hold on test cricket’s number one all-rounder ranking.

Hashim Amla was the fastest ever to 2 000 ODI runs early in the year, while Dale Steyn was unwavering in living up to his status as the best bowler in the world.

Graeme Smith was unfairly demonised after the World Cup – a public lynching in South Africa was not going to change anything – and 2011 was not his greatest year. But, having relinquished the limited-overs captaincy, the left-hander made another of his characteristic fourth-innings centuries to win the first test against Australia at Newlands.

Mark Boucher was another who did not go quietly, making a career-saving half-century against Sri Lanka at Centurion, where he also kept wicket superbly. AB de Villiers is not letting his new responsibilities affect his batting, and his 99 against Sri Lanka at Centurion was one of the best innings of his career.

NEW STARS

New stars were also born.

Faf du Plessis impressed at the World Cup, while left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe bowled with penetration and accuracy in limited-overs matches.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir burst on to the scene at the World Cup as South Africa defied convention and went into several games with three spinners. Slow left-armer Robin Peterson and off-spinner Johan Botha were the others and they also proved their worth as all-round cricketers.

Jacques Rudolph forced his way back into the test team as Smith’s opening partner, but battled to make several good starts really count.

But the newcomer of the year was undoubtedly Vernon Philander.

Trying him out at Newlands in the first test against Australia, after years of domestic excellence, might just prove to a watershed for South African cricket.

Philander claimed 14 wickets in the two tests against Australia – including five for 15 in the 47 all out innings – to win the man of the series award and then 10 to skittle Sri Lanka at Centurion and win the man of the match award.

Philander’s adherence to the basics of line-and-length and hitting the seam are his greatest strengths; perhaps South Africa will fulfil their considerable potential when they discover a way to do the simple things well as a team, day in, day out.

http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/111220/More_Protea_heartbreak_in_2011