NZ, SA brace for contest of craft and class

Summers last long these days, even in cricket. This one, for instance, began in the months formerly known as winter for New Zealand when they traveled to southern Africa. They played Zimbabwe in July and South Africa, who were starting their season much earlier than usual, in August. Seven months later, as watery sunshine flatters to deceive in Dunedin, the teams meet again to finish what they began.

For both sides this series will possibly define the 2016-17 season, one of their busiest ever. New Zealand will have played 14 Tests (two in Zimbabwe, two in South Africa, three in India and seven at home); South Africa 11 (five at home, three in Australia, three in New Zealand). Both sides have had enough opportunities to develop their outfits.

New Zealand's major accomplishment so far this season is being unbeaten at home. Their position on the rankings remains unchanged at No.5. They have four wins across two series against Pakistan and Bangladesh, and will be desperate to keep a clean sheet. By contrast, South Africa have climbed four places from No.7 to No.3 are unbeaten anywhere in the same period. They won series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka at home, and Australia away (although they lost their first day-night Test in Adelaide) and will be looking for a full house of results.

Success without borders was the hallmark of the side under Graeme Smith. After a torrid Indian tour at the end of 2015 which sparked a downward spiral from which they have only just recovered, they believe they can resurrect the mantra.

"At the start of the season we were under pressure with results not going our way, but now are a team that has now had a very successful year in Test cricket and one-day cricket, so we have the confidence that that brings from winning," Faf du Plessis, the South Africa captain, said. "We come to New Zealand and we are confident that we can beat these guys. We know we will have to play some really good cricket because New Zealand are a tough team to beat in their own conditions, but we are confident."

While New Zealand's establishing of their fortress is fairly recent, they have been laying the foundations at University Oval since 2008. At this venue, they have not lost - sometimes for no other reason other than the rain - and so, they perhaps purposely bring teams to Dunedin first.

New Zealand want to make their opposition as uncomfortable as possible. One look at South Africa's squad wrapped in soft-shell jackets and beanies suggest they have got that right. But Kane Williamson knows this opposition cannot simply be frozen out of contention. "It's perhaps a little bit colder than what they might be used to, but because of their experience they adapt quite quickly," he said. "They are always very competitive in all formats and all conditions. That's no different here in New Zealand."

Instead, New Zealand may try a cricketing tactic against South Africa which involves making them equally uncomfortable in the middle. "I think New Zealand will look to try and play two spinners against us," du Plessis said. "Maybe from their point of view, they see that as an opportunity to try and beat us."

On what should be a slowish surface, Williamson did not rule out the chances of including both Mitchell Santner and Jeetan Patel in the playing XI, perhaps because he knows South Africa won't want to hear that. AB de Villiers, who is not involved in the Tests but has been around long enough to know, called the turning Hamilton ODI pitch, "the toughest," he had played on. Bear in mind that de Villiers was on South Africa's Test tour to India where pitches were much more spiteful.

You will have some idea of how easily South Africa can spin themselves into a frenzy over turn, even though, generally, they have become better at playing it. That's not to say South Africa like it flat either. They prefer pace, bounce and carry not least because it allows them to execute their primary bowling plan which in this series, includes dismissing Williamson and Ross Taylor as early as possible.

"They are the two most experienced batters. If you can put them under pressure, will be easier to put some pressure on the rest of the line-up," du Plessis said. "If you can keep them quiet like we did in South Africa, we put some really good pressure on the newer and younger players."

In the only completed match of that series, Williamson and Taylor scored 83 runs between them in four innings, the bulk of which was Williamson's first-innings 77. Taylor made one run in the Test and apart from Henry Nicholls showing signs of promise at No.5, the rest of New Zealand's line-up failed. They have made one big change since, dropping Martin Guptill and giving Jeet Raval the opening job. This will be the real measure of whether that was the right move.

South Africa's only personnel shift since has been in the spin department with Keshav Maharaj preferred over Dane Piedt, but their more important development was making du Plessis permanent Test captain. In August, he was only standing in for de Villiers but even then, his ability to get the best out of the players stood out. Williamson, in comparison, has been in charge across all formats since April last year.

They are both thinking cricketers, who pride themselves on leading by example. Although du Plessis has never been shy of courting some controversy - shoulder-charges at the 2011 World Cup quarter-final and mint-gate in Australia are the two best-known examples - he is not likely to get into a verbal battle a la Virat Kohli and Steve Smith in Bengaluru with Williamson.

"Kane and myself are similar personalities. There won't be too much of a battle going on there ego wise. It's more when you play guys who try and act like they want to run to show - that's when the captains can have an ego contest but I think not for the two of us. We are pretty chilled," du Plessis said, while Williamson distanced himself even further from the proposed battle of the captains.

"I don't think it's between the captains as much as it is operating within the resources you have and trying to use them to the best of your ability," he said. "With our team, we have a number of leaders and we try and operate in way that gives us the best chance."

So the expectation is that this series will fly under radar. It won't command the attention of India-Australia or the regional needle of Sri Lanka-Bangladesh. It will be a contest of craft and class and for these two teams, it will be a measure of where they both stand at the end of what has been a seemingly endless summer.