Ken Borland

What happened on Pink Day sealed the deal for Ken Borland

The Ball in Play

Both the Proteas and Australia agreed at the end of their Pink Day ODI at the Wanderers on Sunday that it had been the South African spin bowlers who had once again been the difference between the two great rivals.

Sure, Temba Bavuma scored a masterful century and David Miller smashed a career-best (statistically and maybe in terms of what it meant personally too) 142 to take South Africa to 365 for nine after being sent in to bat.

But when Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head had added 130 for the first wicket in just 17 overs and Australia were ahead of the required run-rate, it was the spinners who turned the tide once again for the home team.

Left-arm spinners Keshav Maharaj and Bjorn Fortuin repeated their heroics of the first ODI in Durban on Heritage Day [September 24), and this time they had the support of part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram.

Together, that triumvirate of twirlers all bowled their full ration of overs and took five wickets for 179 in 30 overs. Not only did they go for less than a run-a-ball at a venue which can be very tough on spinners, but they also removed five of Australia’s top six.

Having been the key factor in the ODI series win with a game to spare, I believe Proteas coach Shukri Conrad should also look to spin for the Test series that starts on October 9.

When the fixtures were announced for this Australian tour back in February, the fact that the three Tests were being played at Kingsmead, St George’s Park and Newlands got me thinking.

All three matches being played at coastal venues made me wonder if Conrad, who often dissents with the popular or cliched view, was planning to attack the Australians with spin. South Africa’s coastal venues, especially Durban in recent years, are the most spin-friendly in the country.

Keshav Maharaj is based at Kingsmead and Prenelan Subrayen and Senuran Muthusamy all made their Test debuts while playing for the KZN Dolphins, such has been the success of spin in Durban.

St George’s Park in Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, can also be very spin-friendly depending on the wind. When thinking of the Test venues, my mind immediately went back to April 2022 when Maharaj and Simon Harmer destroyed Bangladesh, taking all 10 second-innings wickets at Kingsmead as they bundled them out for just 53, and then repeating the feat further down the coast in the next match, where they shot the tourists out for just 80. They are the only pair of bowlers to have achieved this in back-to-back Tests in the history of the game.

Newlands in Cape Town has also traditionally been a favoured venue for the spinners, Paul Adams and England’s Colin Blythe are both in the top-10 wicket-takers in Tests there, while Paul Harris, Shane Warne, Nicky Boje, Johnny Briggs, Hugh Tayfield and Maharaj are all in the top-20. When I was growing up, Western Province leg-spinner Denys Hobson was always a threat for visiting teams in domestic cricket, and I remember Transvaal’s slow left-armer Alan Kourie routinely winning games there on the third day, using the wind superbly.

The best red-ball return at Newlands in the last four seasons is left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds’s seven for 39 against the KZN Dolphins in 2023/24.

My learned colleague Stuart Hess, whose coverage of South African and domestic cricket for TimesLive and the Sunday Times should be compulsory reading for cricket fans, did rather dampen my spinner daydreams when he informed me Conrad had told him the thinking around the fixtures was early-season pitches on the coast seaming around, the coach mentioning when Marco Jansen took seven for 13 at Kingsmead as he bowled Sri Lanka out for a measly 42.

But that match was actually at the end of November in 2024. Normally when I have disagreed with coach Shukri, he has invariably proven me wrong, but I would be very surprised if, having seen what has transpired in the ODI series, he is not thinking of attacking Australia with both Maharaj and Harmer.

Conrad did say this week that the double-spinner tactic, planned before what he called the “hamstring pandemic” amongst the quick bowlers, had “exposed” some weaknesses in the Australian ODI team, but he added that their Test batting line-up is very different to their limited-overs personnel.

But just to strengthen my argument, I can report that marvellous Miller agreed with my idea when he spoke to the media after his magnificent 142 off just 93 balls.

“I would love to see us test the Australians on days three and four with turn because we have great spinners. Playing our spinners has probably been a weakness for them. Our spinners are extremely good at holding a good length and asking questions. When the surface holds a bit, it takes a lot to hit them off that length,” Miller said.

Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards, who was their best bowler with five for 67 in just his second ODI and then scored 25 to give them a sliver of hope, explained why facing the Proteas spinners has been such a problem.

“The spinners are both really good at controlling their length and when the pitch is a bit dry and the ball a bit softer, one delivery will turn sharply and the next one skids through. So it’s a considerable risk to try and hit boundaries, they are quality bowlers,” Edwards said.

But let’s go back to Bavuma and Miller, who are both such inspirational figures in the batting line-up.

Captain Bavuma had to come in after the shock of Aiden Markram, back in the team for the first time since the T20 World Cup, being dismissed first ball of the match courtesy of a spectacular Cooper Connolly catch. A lengthy delay before the opening delivery was bowled – either due to SuperSport delaying things or the event managers getting their timings wrong – probably did not help him.

Bavuma looked in fine touch from the get-go and played some of the most elegant strokes of the day, while also showing he is capable of brutal dispatching too as he collected 10 fours and two sixes in his 103. Bavuma now averages 49 against Australia in ODIs, striking at 85, and averages 41 in Tests.

Whether he is still batting at number three in the next World Cup will become more clear in the months ahead, but what is certain is that he will be the lynchpin in the South African batting line-up, allowing the strokeplayers and boundary-hitters to bat around him.

Just like Miller did at the Wanderers. Their ground-record partnership of 156 off 135 balls for the fourth wicket featured timing as sweet as the most invigorating balsam, and just as medicinal for South Africa’s health after they had slipped to 93 for three after a difficult first 15 overs when the ball moved around and there was some steep bounce.

The previous fourth-wicket record for the Proteas at the Wanderers was 105 between AB de Villiers and JP Duminy, against India in 2013/14.

There are some who have written off the 37-year-old Miller’s chances of making the 2027 World Cup squad, but he has not averaged below 40 in his last four seasons of ODI action, while striking at 114. He has scored three centuries and seven half-centuries in that time.

His strokeplay had the large Pink Day crowd purring with delight, especially when he sent the Australian bowlers over the boundary fencing on nine occasions. His record against South Africa’s greatest rivals is extraordinary: He now averages 59.20 against them, at a strike-rate of 106, with four centuries.

“I just want to contribute in the best way I can, make an impact. I just try to stick to my processes, I’ve been around for a long time so it’s also time for me to lead from the front and stick my hand up.

“I was pretty hungry today. You can never 100% guarantee that you’re going to make the World Cup squad and I still have a lot of hard work to do. This is a very important series because we haven’t played at home for a long time. It’s going to be very nice to have a big summer here against some really good opposition before we host the World Cup next year.

“The key for us leading up to the World Cup is to find our balance and ensure our depth is good. There are a lot of batsmen coming through, and it’s similar with the bowlers,” Miller said.

Lesser franchises sometimes find themselves caught between the imperatives of winning trophies or producing players for the national team, but for the DP World Lions men’s team, the 2023/24 season was a superb example of doing both.

Our #PrideOfJozi claimed both the four-day series and CSA T20 Challenge titles in a marvellous first season under the coaching of Russell Domingo, and they will provide four members of the Proteas T20 World Cup squad and another four for the South African team that will play the West Indies in a warm-up series.

“It’s part of the job to be a winning franchise and to also produce players for the country,” former Proteas coach Domingo said. “So I’m glad we have some players in the national squad, and I’m particularly pleased for Bjorn Fortuin and Ryan Rickelton, who have been recalled.

“We are blessed at the DP World Lions to have myself who has coached internationally, and Hashim Amla and Allan Donald, who are greats of the game. So we have seen the standard at the top and so we get the players to play a brand of cricket that we know will succeed at international level, and not just what works at domestic level and will be enough to win trophies.

“So we are constantly asking ourselves ‘are the players’ disciplines good enough for international cricket?’ A few of them have needed to upskill in terms of training, preparation and technique,” Domingo said.

With all the talent at his disposal, Domingo admitted that selection was often not an easy task and he gave special praise to the fringe players who never had a firm place in the side but were always willing to enthusiastically contribute to the spirit of the Pride.

“What pleased me most about the season was the way the guys stuck at it. There were some really difficult selections because we have so many good players. There are guys who really did not play a lot of cricket, but still brought plenty of energy and commitment. There was a great vibe in the camp and the players deserve a lot of credit for that.

“Guys like Zubayr Hamza in the T20, Connor Esterhuizen and Junaid Dawood will be disappointed they did not get more game-time. Mitchell van Buuren had some brutal selection calls, not only was he a consistent run-scorer but the ultimate team player and it was really heartbreaking to leave him out of two finals. Selection was not easy but the players all embraced and understood our calls and gave 100%,” Domingo said.

Like a reliable, tough bakkie that just keeps on going whatever the conditions, Bjorn Fortuin just kept on churning out performances for the DP World Lions, being the leading wicket-taker for the team in the first-class and 50-over competitions, and second only to new sensation Nqaba Peter in the T20.

Ryan Rickelton consistently displayed his capabilities with the bat across all three formats, and his combination with stalwarts Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen at the top of the order was a major factor in the T20 triumph.

Wiaan Mulder was the ultimate all-rounder, bringing high skill levels and ability in all conditions, while Hamza’s offerings with the bat were always useful and very pleasing to the eye.

But while these players were the core of the fabulous #PrideOfJozi, the players pushing up from below are equally important.

The depth of our DP World Lions squad is also impressive, with the likes of Codi Yusuf, leg-spinner Peter, Van Buuren, Esterhuizen, four-day series final hero Delano Potgieter and Mohammed Manack all being carefully watched and groomed.

Yusuf, in particular, is an under-rated cricketer, taking 21 wickets in the four-day competition and 16 in the T20. He is also useful with the bat and his scores of 34 and 46 in the four-day final were absolutely crucial as he shared lower-order partnerships of 55 and 118 with Potgieter.

“Codi always had to fight for his place, but he played a massive role for us this season,” Domingo said. “He took wickets regularly in the four-day competition and then his runs in the final were vital. He’s also an excellent fielder.

“I think Codi has a great deal of potential, especially as he gets stronger and understands the game more. He’s got skill and he’s a great kid too.

“Nqaba began his first season as someone who was unheard of, now he is well-known, so he is clearly a name to go forward with, especially in terms of the SA20 and maybe the next World Cup. The special thing about him is that he bowls quickly and he has great control.

“There are a whole bunch of youngsters coming through who have a lot of potential,” Domingo said.

The DP World Lions men’s team may be able to settle for a total of between 140-160 in their massive Division One CSA T20 Challenge top-of-the-log clash against the Dafabet Warriors at St George’s Park on Wednesday, but one thing that is non-negotiable for coach Russell Domingo is playing with high intensity.

Our Pride are coming off a run of four successive wins, so confidence is high and there is also plenty at stake on Wednesday in Gqeberha as the DP World Lions can claim first place in the standings with a victory in this last week of round-robin action.

Playing now at the height of autumn, Domingo is not expecting a run-fest and the gravity of the game means it is likely to be a tense, tight affair.

“Historically you would bat first at St George’s Park, but playing this late in the season means there could be dew around. We will need to assess that on the day,” Domingo said. “But the most important thing is for us to match and exceed the Warriors’ intensity. We’ve got to be right up there.

“The Warriors have defended a lot of scores around 160 and we’re not seeing massive totals anymore this season. The trend is not scores of 190-200. You have to bat properly because it’s now a bit cooler, there’s more moisture around and the ball is doing a bit more. So we’ll have to be on top of things with our batting

“It’s the two teams with the most wins going head-to-head and getting to first on the log is a big incentive for us. I’ve been really happy with our intensity and focus in the last couple of games, it’s really improved and our fielding has been fantastic,” Domingo said.

Our #PrideOfJozi is such a settled, confident team at the moment that the coach is able to introduce fringe players without disrupting the winning flow. Proteas stars Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen were rested for the last outing, against the North-West Dragons at the DP World Wanderers Stadium last weekend, and their replacements, Zubayr Hamza and Connor Esterhuizen, were sent up to open the batting and both scored 41 not out off 28 balls as they rushed the team to a 10-wicket bonus point victory.

“I’m trying to give guys opportunities for more game-time, more time in the middle. Obviously winning is the most important thing, but it’s also important to expose some of the other players,” Domingo explained.

“I was really happy for Connor, he’s been on the sidelines a lot this season, he hasn’t had much game-time and he really showed how good he can be. Both he and Zubayr are fantastic cricketers.

“I will probably make some more changes against the Warriors, keep giving guys opportunity. I’m pretty confident we will still have enough firepower to push them hard, although the Warriors have played fabulous cricket. Winning nine out of 11 games is a phenomenal achievement and we will have to be at the top of our game if we are to win and go to first on the log,” Domingo said.

The key to a successful outcome for the #PrideOfJozi will be doing the basics right.

“We need to really focus on the small things, do the basics well. Things like really running well between the wickets, scrapping in the powerplay when the bowlers are very much in the game in South African conditions, setting things up in the middle and then finishing well,” Domingo said.

The DP World Lions will be hoping the weather plays along and there are no interruptions to the action in the top-of-the-log CSA T20 Challenge clash between our #PrideOfJozi and the Dafabet Warriors at the Wanderers Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Lions are still well-placed in second position on the log despite the shock rain-affected loss to the Tuskers in the weekend’s action, while the Warriors come to the DP World Wanderers Stadium as the only unbeaten side in the competition.

The DP World Lions’ last two matches at the Bullring have been affected by the weather and have seen our Pride not being able to produce their best. They scraped a one-run win over Western Province in a Super Over, having been cruising to their target before a rain interruption. The start of their match against the Tuskers was delayed by showers after the toss, and Keith Dudgeon, who used to represent the Pride, then laid waste to the top-order in the sort of conditions seam bowlers dream of having.

But the DP World Lions will be confident that they have the beating of any side in a full 20-over contest, even the in-form Warriors.

Ryan Rickelton, having set alight the SA20, has been the star performer with the bat for our Pride, averaging 41.25 with a strike-rate of 147.32, while he has international-class back-up in Wiaan Mulder, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks.

Kagiso Rabada and Kwena Maphaka may be away representing the #PrideOfJozi on the IPL stage, but the ever-reliable left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin will be there to lead the attack, while seamer Codi Yusuf has shown he is a fast-rising talent.

Having suffered a rare defeat, there is no doubt the DP World Lions will be raring to bounce back and produce a dazzling all-round performance to solidify their place in the top two of the CSA T20 Challenge.