Ken Borland

The Proteas may have lost wickets and closed up shop in the second half of the day, but the enduring image of the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at Centurion will be Aiden Markram stroking the ball around SuperSport Park on his way to a comeback century.

It was just like the old days as Markram compiled a fabulous 115 off 174 balls in four-and-a-half hours at the crease, the opener’s first Test century since February 2021 leading South Africa to 314 for eight at stumps after they won what seems a good toss.

He and fellow opener Dean Elgar, stripped of the captaincy, needed some good fortune in the morning, but they both showed the determination and skill to fight through the new ball and they put on an impressive 141 for the first wicket.

It was out of character for Elgar to give his wicket away on 71 by ramping Alzarri Joseph to third man, where Jermaine Blackwood did well to hang on to the speeding ball above his head while tumbling backwards, but the left-hander had done the sort of defiant job at the start of the innings that he also did in the good old days. He was also more expansive than he often is, striking 11 fours and needing just 118 balls for his 71 runs.

Another left-hander, the debutant Tony de Zorzi, then joined Markram, and when South Africa went to tea on 206 for one, they seemed set to plunder runs in the final session against an attack that was looking increasingly flat.

But De Zorzi, looking for an unlikely third run, was run out for 28 and, from 221 for one, the Proteas lost their next seven wickets for just 79 runs.

Markram later said, however, that with the ball moving around all day, the home side will certainly take their position at the end of the day.

“We started really well after lunch, but as the pitch got quicker, it became clear that any ball could have your name on it,” Markram said. “The ball was still going sideways a couple of overs before the second new ball was due, so there was still quite a lot in the wicket even at the end of the day.”

Markram drove the ball magnificently through the covers, where most of his 18 fours came from, but also seemed to dial back his strokeplay a little, not going quite as hard as he can, his sixth Test century being an impressively controlled effort.

“I’ve been having nice chats to the coaches and the senior players, and with the slower bounce here on the first day, it can be difficult to drive,” Markram said. “In the past, I might have just gone hard anyway, but I understand now that, at some stages, you have to either earn the right to drive or the ball has to be extremely full.

“It’s not about being any less aggressive, but instead just trying to keep it as simple as possible. The attitude from the coaches is that each guy has his own strengths and if the ball is in your area then no worries, even if it doesn’t work out. But you have to marry that with the conditions and the bowling attack you’re up against,” the 28-year-old Markram said.

The West Indies picked up the big wicket of Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, trapped in front by Joseph for a two-ball duck in the same over as De Zorzi’s run out, and Joseph then speared a superb yorker into Markram’s stumps four overs later as the home side slipped to 236 for four.

Heinrich Klaasen was in counter-attack mode as he went to 20 off 22 balls, but he then miscued an attempted pull off Shannon Gabriel into the hands of Joseph, running from mid-on.

Senuran Muthusamy, surprisingly in the XI instead of Keshav Maharaj or another batsman, shouldered arms and was trapped in front by Kemar Roach for three, and Keegan Petersen dug in for an hour-and-a-half, but could only amass 14 runs in 50 balls before he walked across his stumps and was lbw to Kyle Mayers’ inswingers.

Marco Jansen (17*) and Gerald Coetzee, another debutant, who struck his first two balls for fours to reach 11 not out at stumps, will resume on the second morning.

Overnight, Markram will be able to savour a Test career resumed in the most impressive fashion. He said the confidence placed in him by new Test coach Shukri Conrad, who insisted he be recalled and open the batting, had helped inspire him on Tuesday.

“It might have been a good thing to be dropped, it meant I started today with a clean slate,” Markram said. “I was heartsore about not being in Australia, but the reasons I was given by the selectors were quite clear and I was happy with the explanation.

“As a batsman, you need runs on the board, and if you don’t have them then your position should be under scrutiny. It probably worked out nicely in the end. It’s been a strange journey, but I’m grateful it worked out today.

“There was a lot of relief when I reached my hundred, but it’s great when a coach backs you, what it does for a player is massive and I’ve always had a really good relationship and understanding with Shukri.

“His backing gave me extra confidence and you also want to do him justice. One of Shukri’s big strengths is that he’s always very clear where you stand and I’m grateful for his backing and another chance,” Markram said, having taken the opportunity with both hands.

The Bulls had their fans purring in delight in the first half but spluttered for most of the second as they registered a 43-26 victory over the Ospreys in their United Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Kickoff was delayed by half-an-hour due to lightning, but the Bulls came out firing as they raced into a 31-14 halftime lead, getting the four-try bonus point in just 32 minutes. Given their usual solid platform up front, their cohesion and skills were outstanding, forwards linking brilliantly with backs, especially flank Nizaam Carr.

But the Bulls rather fell asleep in the second half, not being as sharp and, allied to Ospreys finding some fire and fight, the second half was a struggle for the home side, with the visitors dominating and earning themselves a bonus point for four tries as well.

The Bulls lost the momentum they enjoyed in the first half due to basic errors, and their score was only boosted in the last 10 minutes by two tries.

The home side set the ball rolling in the seventh minute with a brilliant move off a lineout, lovely hands creating space on the outside for wing David Kriel to score. Six minutes later, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, always tenacious at the breakdown, made a turnover, Carr was prominent in getting the ball wide, fellow loose forward WJ Steenkamp made a half-break and Carr then beat two defenders to round off another fine try.

Steenkamp then finished off the third try in the 20^th minute as fullback Wandisile Simelane took advantage of a poor chase line by the Ospreys, and outside centre Lionel Mapoe and Kriel then combined brilliantly to send the wing over for his second try, the phenomenal Mapoe producing an offload in the tackle that was a thing of beauty.

Ospreys scored two tries when they did get into Bulls territory, but eighthman Elrigh Louw, in a powerhouse display that should remind the Springboks of his abilities, barged over for a try on the halftime hooter.

Ospreys dominated the third quarter, the Bulls’ discipline also seeing the tide turn against them, before the home side remembered late in the game what had worked in the first half.

Mapoe’s initial break in the 70^th minute then saw replacement scrumhalf Zak Burger break clear and lock Ruan Nortje, in his first game as captain, was up in support to score.

Burger then had the last say when he sniped over for a try with two minutes remaining, after strong work at the breakdown by hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels and a good carry by flyhalf Morne Steyn, both replacements.

Scorers

Bulls – Tries: David Kriel (2), Nizaam Carr, WJ Steenkamp, Elrigh Louw, Ruan Nortje, Zak Burger. Conversions: Chris Smith (3), Morne Steyn.

Ospreys – Tries: Jack Walsh, Thomas Wheeler, Keiran Williams, Rhys Henry. Conversions: Walsh (3).

Bulls director of rugby Jake White once again bemoaned how bare his cupboard is when it comes to Springboks, but he seemed still fairly confident on Friday that his team will be able to “play some rugby” and see off the Ospreys in their United Rugby Championship clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Bulls will still field half-a-dozen Springboks in their starting XV and Morne Steyn on the bench, and White hinted that there will be no lack of ambition from his side on Saturday from 3pm.

“Ospreys drew with last season’s champions, the Stormers, which means they can play,” White said. “I know a couple of their main guys are not here, but Wales rugby is under pressure and their players could see this as an opportunity to put their hands up for national honours.

“They were tough to beat last year and I don’t foresee an easy game, but we would like to play through our centres and Harold Vorster and Lionel Mapoe can tick that box.

“They played three Super Rugby finals together, so imagine the hours they have spent practising and playing together, they’re probably the most experienced centre pairing in South Africa.

“And then Nizaam Carr is unbelievable on attack, he will add something running between and linking off the backline players. WJ Steenkamp as well,” White said.

With both the URC challenge and the European Rugby Champions Cup on his immediate radar, White said the Bulls had entered something of a new phase with a new generation of core players. He pointed out that when he arrived at Loftus Versfeld in 2020, his leadership group was Ivan van Zyl, Steyn, Gio Aplon, Duane Vermeulen and Arno Botha, all Springboks.

Now they have a new captain in lock Ruan Nortje, and fellow leaders in Johan Grobbelaar, Elrigh Louw, Chris Smith, Johan Goosen and Vorster.

“The whole dynamic has changed and I would like this group to have their own personality,” White said. “Ruan is quieter and doesn’t talk as much as Marcell Coetzee, but all my captains are totally and utterly driven to do well.

“But I am excited to see him stay the same Ruan Nortje, I would encourage him to bring his own personality and captaincy style.

“But South African rugby needs to find a new model post the next World Cup, we have to make sure our regions are strong, we keep our best players and keep our teams together.

“Why would we want to play in the Champions Cup if we don’t have a realistic chance of winning it? My salary cap of R70 million compared to the R180 million of Leinster or Munster, and even more for the French teams, is what I have to worry about,” White said.

Bulls:Wandisile Simelane, David Kriel, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs, Chris Smith, Embrose Papier, Elrigh Louw, WJ Steenkamp, Nizaam Carr, Ruan Nortje (c), Janko Swanepoel, Francois Klopper, Bismarck du Plessis, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench – Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Ruan Vermaak, Cyle Brink, Zak Burger, Morne Steyn, Marco Jansen van Vuren.

New Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad is not aiming to be the manufacturer of some dramatic new way of playing five-day cricket, but he has nevertheless made some brave calls as South Africa head into a new era in what most players still consider the pinnacle of the game as they take on the West Indies in the first of a two-match series in Centurion from Tuesday.

Conrad has not only installed a new Test captain in Temba Bavuma, whose predecessor Dean Elgar remains in the team but needs to regain his ability to make tough runs, but also cut a trio of players who would probably have expected to still be involved.

Dropping two of the three leading run-scorers in the series in Australia over the festive season is certainly a tough call if you are Kyle Verreynne, who scored two half-centuries in the three Tests, or Sarel Erwee, whose last Test innings was the dogged 42 not out he scored to help South Africa save the third Test in Sydney.

Lungi Ngidi has also been a regular in the Test team, playing 11 of the 18 Tests in the last two years. He has taken 33 wickets in that time, at an excellent average of just 21.63. Ngidi has also conceded only 3.06 runs-per-over in that time, all of which suggests he plays an important role in the Proteas attack, but Conrad has seemingly gone the bold route of wanting the express pace of uncapped Gerald Coetzee instead.

Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram are the batsmen to benefit from the axing of Verreynne and Erwee. There is no doubting that both are amongst the most talented strokeplayers in the country, but Klaasen has scored just 48 runs in four Test innings, and Markram makes yet another return based on just how damn good he looks whenever he picks up a bat, except when it comes to actually scoring runs at Test level.

Typically of Conrad, who is never afraid to back his big calls, he has already stated that Markram will return to opening the batting alongside Elgar. The new coach is not reinventing how the Proteas play Test cricket, but he is certainly aiming for a more aggressive, positive approach.

Conrad was walking around the SuperSport Park field on Monday morning during the Proteas’ final preparations like a sergeant major, but he is not all bark and bite; he found time to give the no-doubt hurting Elgar an arm around the shoulder and a rub of the neck.

If the 55-year-old Conrad is the equivalent of the Proteas’ chairman of the board, then Bavuma is the new CEO tasked with getting the best out of the staff.

Bavuma is no stranger to international captaincy, of course, having led the Proteas in 17 ODIs and 25 T20s. He is highly-respected by his team-mates for his tactical acumen, technical ability and tenacity.

Bavuma has been no stranger to tough times recently, and he was stressing the need for his team to embrace a fresh start against the West Indies.

“These are exciting times, it’s the start of a new journey and I would like us to start with a clean slate and play the way we want to play,” Bavuma said at Centurion on Monday.

“We have got enough resources in the 15-man squad to adapt to conditions and back up whatever tactics we want to employ. And there are other leaders within the team, guys who have been around for a while, who I can definitely lean on. We just need to ensure we are all speaking the same language.

“The brand of cricket we play is how we want to measure ourselves, but we still need to man up. We know as a batting unit that we need to score the runs, we need to go out and do what we need to do.

“A lot of these guys have won a series against India not long ago when no-one really backed us to do that. I always preach playing together as a team and we don’t want to lose that,” Bavuma said.

Fresh starts almost always involve a positive approach to things, and it seems the Proteas are as concerned with how they go about playing as what they produce. Conrad will have to live or die by his brave choices, and perhaps he will discover that sometimes producing the goods is all that matters, no matter how you look doing it.