The Proteas have received so much criticism in recent years that it almost feels like they aren’t getting enough credit for their real exploits over the past nine months. Their latest performance may have just been a 1-1 stalemate against New Zealand, a team that has never won a series against South Africa, but as always context matters. Their 198-run win at Christchurch this week was the most dramatic comeback given how heavily hammered they were in the first Test. That was a largely indefensible feat, except the team had to travel…
The Proteas have received so much criticism in recent years that it almost feels like they aren’t getting enough credit for their real exploits over the past nine months.
Their latest performance may have just been a 1-1 stalemate against New Zealand, a team that has never won a series against South Africa, but as always context matters.
Their 198-run win at Christchurch this week was the most dramatic comeback given how heavily hammered they were in the first Test. That was a largely indefensible feat, apart from the fact that the team had to travel to the other side of the planet, spend 10 days locked in their rooms in quarantine, then come out and face the reigning Test World Champion. while their bodies were still trying to cope with jet lag.
Today’s Proteas are far from a star-studded outfit. Only Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj would likely qualify for a World XI. But beating both India and New Zealand, the two sides that took part in the World Test Championship final, shows that there must be some pretty solid team culture in their locker room.
Of course, there are those who would like to see the efforts of the past nine months all go to waste by firing the current coach. If Mark Boucher leaves the Proteas family, there is no doubt that it will have a negative effect on performance. But Cricket South Africa has a history of believing that their flagship results don’t matter.
Erwee and Verreynne
Aside from the remarkable resilience, determination and composure of the Proteas, it is always very pleasing to see so many crucial contributions from players who are still relatively new to the testing of cricket.
The batting isn’t much harder than on the opening morning of a Test at the Hagley Oval, but Sarel Erwee clashed with Dean Elgar, backing up his captain’s incredibly brave decision to bat first after winning the toss. A statement of intent and pure bloodthirstiness if there ever was one.
It was a great achievement to get through lunch unscathed and Erwee then announced himself on the test stage by moving on to a very capable century, a century that literally took years of hard toil.
There were similarities in the second innings when Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder crucially survived the first hour of the fourth day under great pressure. Had wickets come in during that period, South Africa would probably have been thrown out with a lead of less than 300 and the Black Caps would have really imagined that.
Brave to Maharaj . to include
It was also a very brave decision for the Proteas to bring Maharaj into the squad in an area where spinners have rarely been in the game. But a key factor in South Africa’s win was the fact that they read the conditions in Christchurch much better than the home side.
Maharaj’s first contribution came in the first innings of the Proteas when he shared a crucial ninth-wicket partnership of 62 with Marco Jansen. Again, in the second innings, the South African bowlers were in fine form with the bat with Rabada’s sensational 47 off 34 balls providing not only vital quick runs but also plenty of inspiration.
Maharaj was a key figure with the ball in the second innings, and while Rabada and Jansen were also in the wickets, Lutho Sipamla made his mark on the game with a tight spell that kept the batsmen in check and eventually resulted in Devon’s big wicket Conway, caught lbw for 92 when the bowler fired into an impressive Yorker.
Even Mulder fulfilled his part with some helpful seam bowling at a medium pace.
Now fourth in the World Testing Championship, and with two tests against Bangladesh coming up in South Africa, we look forward to keeping this Proteas squad, including management, intact so they can continue to make waves in the international cricket.