Ken Borland

Sri Lanka were in firm control for much of the first day of the first Test in Centurion on Saturday, but a gallant effort by the toiling Proteas bowlers saw them peg back the tourists, who reached stumps on 340 for six.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Sri Lanka’s batsmen were in an aggressive mood and with the Proteas fielding their most inexperienced pace attack – with just 12 caps between the four of them – since the 1993 Boxing Day Test against Australia, the runs came quickly.

The fifty was brought up in the 10^th over for the loss of just captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s wicket for 22, cramped by Lungi Ngidi’s good use of the inswinger from around the wicket to the left-hander. Sri Lanka looked in danger of getting carried away by their own positivity though when they lost wickets in successive overs to Anrich Nortje and Wiaan Mulder, both Kusal Mendis (12) and Kusal Perera (16) falling to loose strokes.

But as soon as Dhananjaya de Silva came in at 54 for three, the initiative was firmly in the hands of the Sri Lankans. Looking in fine touch from the outset, Dhananjaya had breezed to 32 not out at lunch as the tourists went into the break on 102 for three.

Dhananjaya and Dinesh Chandimal were pretty rampant in the first hour of the second session and there seemed little likelihood of the Proteas attack making inroads. Until Sri Lanka were struck by a large dose of misfortune when Dhananjaya, having cruised to a fluent 79 not out, strained a thigh muscle in completing a quick single and had to retire hurt. The injury was bad enough for him to be carried off the field in a buggy.

Chandimal and Dhananjaya’s partnership of 131 equalled Sri Lanka’s fourth-wicket record against South Africa, set by Mahela Jayawardena and Angelo Mathews in Colombo in 2014.

Some momentum was inevitably lost after Dhananjaya’s unfortunate departure but Chandimal then took charge and, with an impressively composed Niroshan Dickwella, they ensured South Africa did not force their way back into the game, at least until midway through the final session as another 99 runs were added.

But it was all-rounder Mulder, playing his first Test since he made his debut against Sri Lanka in February 2019, who sparked the comeback by the Proteas. He produced a brute of a delivery to have Chandimal caught in the slips for 85, a defiant and classy innings, and then trapped Dickwella lbw for 49. He could be well-pleased with his day’s work, netting him three for 68 in 18 overs, an excellent effort considering he was under pressure to perform back-up seamer duties as debutant Lutho Sipamla really struggled in the morning.

Sipamla bowled better and better as the day progressed though, and he claimed his maiden Test wicket when he bowled fellow debutant Wanindu Hasaranga for 18.

Dashun Shanaka (25*) and Kasun Rajitha (7*) then saw off the second new ball burst from Nortje and Ngidi.

Nortje was also impressive on a tough first day, he bowled with tremendous fire and intensity, and he deserved better than his final figures of one for 60 in 18 overs.

The effectiveness of a gesture has much to do with its visibility and I’m not sure how the Proteas’ raised-fist gesture before the start of the first Test against Sri Lanka was captured by the TV cameras or how it came across on screens across the land. But watching it at SuperSport Park on Saturday morning, it looked a little awkward and unconvincing.

Cricket South Africa did issue a statement before the start of the Test tipping the media off that the demonstration of the Proteas’ support for the Black Lives Matter campaign would take place “at the beginning of the series”. I would have expected it to happen during the anthem, which would have been easy to co-ordinate and full of meaning.

Instead we were given an awkward few moments after Nkosi Sikelel’ Afrika where the players looked at each other like the kids in a poorly-rehearsed choir, Quinton de Kock and Dean Elgar, on the right-hand end of the line, raised their fists and then the rest hesitated, before eventually everyone followed suit.

One can only hope the team shows better cohesion as batting and bowling units.

And one presumes they will also make a better fist of paying tribute to the much-loved Robin Jackman, who passed away on Christmas Day, when they wear black armbands in honour of the former England cricketer on Sunday’s second day.

Jackman may have played four Tests and 15 ODIs for England, but he was a massive contributor to South African cricket – playing for both Rhodesia and Western Province, and then moving into coaching and television commentary. Trained by the BBC, Jackers was quality on the air, melding a sharp cricketing brain and a wry sense of humour.

While coaching Western Province, he played a key role in the early careers of future superstars like Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten.

On the field, Jackman, short in stature but big on skill, was perhaps a sort of English Vernon Philander as a bowler.

And off the field, Jackers was even more of a legend. I cannot believe anyone loved cricket more than he did, and he was generous in sharing his passion for the game with anyone and everyone who crossed his path. His enthusiasm for the game was matched by his love of life and the fun hours spent in his company after a day’s play are a fond memory. If there was music around, the evening would often involve some rousing singing by Jackman.

Speaking of Kallis, it was bittersweet to find out in the last week that the great all-rounder, for so long the hub of the Proteas team, will now be working with England as a batting consultant.

The sadness comes not only from the fact he will no longer be working with the South African team but also the sheer hypocrisy in some quarters that greeted the announcement.

Some of the loudest voices who were slamming Graeme Smith, the director of cricket, for hiring his ‘buddy’ for the series against England last summer were now tearing into the former Proteas captain for not ensuring Kallis stayed in the South African system.

Considering the amount of racially-charged abuse that was hurled at Kallis, as well as the obvious fact that England are one of the best-paying teams in the world, it is hardly surprising that he has gone where his input will be truly appreciated. I am happy for him on that score.

Never mind the edict issued by Kugandrie Govender, the then acting CEO of Cricket South Africa, back in September that the national team would no longer be permitted to hire White consultants.

The knives are still clearly out for Smith and the plotters will use any weapon they can against him.

Proteas coach Mark Boucher says realistically it is going to take a while before South Africa are a top-class Test outfit again, but he is hoping his young team will play a streetwise and bold brand of cricket when they open their series against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.

Between the ‘Big Five’ of former captain Faf du Plessis (65), Dean Elgar (63), Quinton de Kock (47), Temba Bavuma (40) and Keshav Maharaj (30), there are 245 Test caps; the rest of South Africa’s expected starting XI will have just 38 caps, 20 of which belong to Aiden Markram.

Asked what his aspiration for the series was, Boucher said “I just want us to start winning and play a good brand of cricket. But we have to be very realistic, it’s difficult to stamp your authority when you’ve only played one or two Tests because players need to feel secure in their positions. A guy like Faf has a massive role to play in driving the way we want to play.

“If the seniors in the team can take the ‘risks’, so to say, almost show them the route, then the youngsters will see that and follow. We want to play aggressive but smart cricket. A guy like Quinton de Kock is naturally aggressive and we’ll bat him at five, a position where we feel he can be the most dangerous. The opposition will know they have to bowl the right lines to him,” Boucher said on Thursday.

While Boucher confirmed that the team will make “a meaningful gesture” in support of Black Lives Matter before the Test match, it is clear that he is being kept very busy trying to ensure the Proteas hit the ground running against Sri Lanka as they look to turn around their poor recent Test record, which stems from the 2-0 loss at home to the islanders in early 2019.

“I didn’t watch a lot of that series to be honest, but chatting to the guys a couple of them do have scars from it. The important takeaway is that we can’t just coast into this series. We have a young team, we are rebuilding but we are in conditions that will suit us. The important thing is for us to focus on what we can do and not worry about Sri Lanka. If we can hit our straps early on then we have a very good opportunity to win. The guys just want to get out there and play because that is the best way to improve yourself.”

Speaking about worry, Boucher admitted that there was some concern over the fitness of pace bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Glenton Stuurman.

“We have a couple of niggles which are a bit of a concern especially since they are bowlers. Lungi has not been feeling great and Glenton has a bad bruise. But both came through training today with flying colours. The idea was to push them two days before the game and if they wake up feeling good on Christmas Day then they will be available for selection,” Boucher said.

Anrich Nortje has marked himself out as being a cricketer of tremendous heart ever since he made his Test debut in India last year, but the 27-year-old knows a lot of his success in the Test series against Sri Lanka will depend on him getting a little help from his friends.

Nortje has played just six Tests and taken 19 wickets at an average of 35, but those figures are skewed by his analysis of one for 179 in the two Tests on flat pitches in India. In South Africa, he has taken 18 scalps in four matches at 27.11.

Lungi Ngidi, although he made his Test debut 18 months earlier, has only played five Tests, with 15 wickets at 25.06, and with the third paceman almost certainly a debutant (Glenton Stuurman most likely), it is anyone’s guess who is going to be the so-called ‘leader of the attack’, but Nortje and Ngidi are favourites to share the new ball against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Centurion from Boxing Day.

“We actually had a meeting on Wednesday about bowling in partnerships, we have a very inexperienced attack and it’s important for us to stick together. Against England I felt like I was quite good at that, especially when Dwaine Pretorius was bowling at the other end. One of us would control things and the other would focus on taking wickets. It’s about understanding what you have to do in that moment and not thinking ahead too much.

“Generally you’re trying to bring the run-rate down so you frustrate the batsmen and force them to play a shot they should not have played. Conditions also play a role but it’s mostly about the run-rate. I’ll be trying to keep to the basics and keep things as simple as possible. There’s definitely going to be a bit more bounce and pace at SuperSport Park, but we must not get carried away,” Nortje said on Thursday.

Nortje said he has been impressed by the uncapped Stuurman and would enjoy bowling in partnership with his fellow Warriors star.

“Glenton is a very good bowler with lots of control and skill. We actually haven’t played a lot together but having seen him in the nets, it’s clear he has a lot of talent and he can really trouble guys, especially at Centurion. He asks lots of questions and, without labelling the guy, he can sort of fulfil the Vernon Philander role.”

Having taken the Sri Lankans away from the lower and slower coastal pitches on which they won 2-0 in 2019, the use of the short ball is obviously going to be a key weapon of the Proteas. But Nortje said it is important that they do not overdo the delivery.

“We try and see from every angle what we can do against certain batsmen and conditions are going to be different for them this time around. If someone is uncomfortable against the short ball then he will definitely get it  a lot, but if they are comfortable then we won’t bowl it as much,  although they will still get some. So much depends on the conditions and where the batsman is scoring well.

“We definitely want to use the extra bounce and pace to our advantage, but we mustn’t get carried away and go into the Test thinking we are just going to bomb them out. At SuperSport Park there’s obviously that extra bounce, but you also get cracks later on and that’s obviously exciting from a bowling perspective. We have had a good couple of days of training and we have tuned our game,” Nortje sad.