Congratulations, South Africa! Three long decades after being welcomed back into the international sporting fold, the World Test Championship ha as it did for New Zealand a few years ago, provided the opportunity to break their duck in major ICC global trophies. Temba Bavuma’s joy at holding the WTC prize aloft was reflected in cricket fans not only in South Africa but in many other nations, too.
The Apartheid era has unfortunately tainted the way I regard that country but the reborn ‘Rainbow Nation’, for all it faults, deserves some success on the cricket field. The reputation as ‘chokers’ has also weighed heavy on the shoulders of every team since 1999, as unfair as it is cruel. Nonetheless, only one previous cup final appearance in eighteen ODI and T20 tournaments is scant reward for their undoubted talent. Even England have won more semi-finals in that time.
I think of all those great sides, both in white and red ball who tried and failed to take that extra step or two to claim the silverware. The WTC came too late for the likes of Allan Donald, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, AB De Villiers, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Daryll Cullinan, Lance Klusener et al.
Many of those names competed in that infamous tied semi-final at Edgbaston almost exactly 26 years ago. So horribly close… But look at Australia’s players they faced that day: Gilchrist, both Waughs, Ponting, Lehmann, Warne, McGrath, Moody, Bevan,…. Some of the best one-day cricketers of a generation were in that line-up. yet Pollock and Donald took nine wickets to restrict the Aussies to 213. In response, Shane Warne took 4-29 and it was only big hitting by the maligned Klusener which kept them in the hunt until the disastrous run-outs at the end.
Who would have thought that a side featuring names like Mulder, Stubbs, Bedingham, Jansen and Ngidi would be the one to end all those years of hurt? It’s not as if South Africa play many Test matches. Money talks loudest, of course. England, Australia and India regularly play three- or five-game series which make enough cash to justify halting the conveyor belt of meaningless but fan-friendly T20 thrashes. Nobody else has the luxury of playing so much proper cricket, but the format of qualifying for the final over a two-year cycle gives others a chance.
The all-powerful India didn’t make it, while England’s Bazball-blinkered set-up hasn’t lived up to the local media hype. SA had a dodgy start, losing 2-0 to New Zealand and the two-day Cape Town drubbing by India, leaving them needing to win their final six Tests to stand chance. This they achieved, whitewashing both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bavuma has nine wins in his first ten as captain, and he earned his place as an excellent batsman. Indeed, his 144-run partnership with centurion Aiden Markram in the second innings at Lord’s was decisive at calming the nerves after two and a half days of tumbling wickets.
David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne have caught my eye in the county game in recent years and they were at the wicket as the latter’s driven single off Starc carried them over the line. Not forgetting their world-class paceman Kagiso Rabada who had match figures of 9-110 to maintain an excellent record over the past two years. Just past his thirtieth birthday, he is bowling better than ever.
It is a pity
South Africa cannot immediately build upon this Test success. However, visits
to Zimbabwe (1 Test) and India (only two) will launch their attempt to retain
the WTC in 2027. Australia still lead the ICC Test rankings, with England and
India not far behind. There’s still a fair way to go but, surviving relentless
Aussie sledging at Lord’s suggests South Africa have little to fear. The Aussie
fast bowlers are getting on a bit and England cannot rely on Ben Stokes, Joe Root
and Harry Brook for ever. Kohli and Rohit have gone, so Test cricket is
entering a new phase. Give South Africa a chance to be at its forefront.
