Ken Borland

“I don’t want to call myself old,” Keshav Maharaj says in a light-hearted aside moments after being named the Proteas Players’ Player of the Year at the recent Cricket South Africa awards evening. But at 34-years-old, the left-arm spinner undoubtedly plays a key role as a figure of wisdom and maturity in a team that is going through a period of transition.

Complicating this time of change for those who play in both red and white-ball formats, as Maharaj does, is the fact that the Test, ODI and T20 squads are all in very different places.

South Africa’s Test team is fourth in the ICC rankings, but is currently in seventh position in the World Test Championship and are seriously short-changed in terms of opportunities to play the five-day format. The ODI team is third in the rankings, boosted by their encouraging semi-final appearance in the 50-over World Cup last year, but questions remain over senior players like Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje and Rassie van der Dussen and the lure of T20 leagues.

The Proteas recently achieved their best showing in an ICC global event when they reached the final of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies, but they are only ranked sixth in that format, with consistency being their main issue as the squad is constantly rotated.

Maharaj, as one of the leadership inner core (he has led the Proteas in seven ODIs and five T20s), says however that he feels South Africa are holding steady if not progressing, thanks to the refreshing influence of some new talent and the continued drive of the seniors.

“We have a good blend of youth and experience and we are finding a way to navigate not only playing international sport but also the transition period we are obviously in,” Maharaj told sportsboom.com.

“It’s not easy when you’re trying to blood talent, but there’s stability in the core, some continuity, we are finding combinations so we don’t have to suddenly look for those at World Cups. There’s role clarity from the coaches and we have two brilliant leaders in Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram.

“I don’t want to call myself old, but for us older guys it’s not always easy with new families that you see for two weeks and then you’re away for eight weeks. But we still love what we do, we are still motivated, patriotic and passionate about what we can do for the country. That’s what spurs us on.

“So with that senior core and how quickly the youngsters are coming through, it’s encouraging that we are still producing results. And the enjoyment of playing together shows too, we work as one unit, motivated to win in all three formats,” Maharaj said.

In terms of personal motivation, Maharaj is probably the complete left-arm spinner already, but he is constantly at work, tinkering and massaging his game. Dedication and work-ethic are his trademarks and in the last season he took 26 wickets in 17 ODIs, conceding just 4.21 runs-per-over; 13 scalps in 10 T20s at 6.88 runs-per-over; and he was the player of the series in the recent Tests in the West Indies, taking 13 wickets in the two matches, at an average of just 16.07.

“I love what I do and I just love the game, so I am still trying to get better and working really hard. I just keep trying to evolve whether that is mentally or in terms of tactics, or subtle changes to my bowling. That includes my batting even though that is yet to pay dividends and the form comes and goes. In cricket, 1+1 doesn’t always equal 2, that’s the way the game goes,” Maharaj chuckled.

“But I just try to be one step ahead. The easy part is getting here, the hardest thing is to stay here. So it’s not about bowling for two hours in the nets, it’s about those six-hour shifts trying to figure out your game. Because out in the middle you are responsible for your own destiny. You have to self-learn because you are alone in the middle, it’s all you, the batter and the ball.”

I don’t normally like to ascribe too much importance to the toss, but there is no doubt Western Province calling correctly on the first morning of the CSA 4-Day Series final against the Central Gauteng Lions at the Wanderers has turned out to be a big advantage for the visitors.

Having sent the Lions in to bat in heavily overcast conditions, WP backed it up with excellent bowling and an astonishing first 100 minutes saw the hosts crash to 35 for five. That the Lions eventually made it to 225 all out was thanks to fringe player Delano Potgieter showing what a useful cricketer he is by scoring 81, and their batting depth as the left-hander shared crucial partnerships with Wiaan Mulder (41) and Codi Yusuf (34).

Despite the rearguard action, WP were in no mood to allow the initiative to slip and Eddie Moore capped a great day for the Capetonians with a dominating 35 not out off 31 balls that took them to 49 without loss at stumps.

To be fair, it was not just a case of winning the toss and bowling first and dominating for WP. With the weather forecast predicting very hot weather and the pitch likely to dry out and crack (there was turn on day one for Kyle Simmonds), batting last will be tough as well. WP captain Kyle Verreynne admitted the decision was difficult when he said at the toss: “I was going to bat first but when I saw the floodlights were on I decided to bowl.”

There was a tinge of green on the pitch on the first morning and, with the overhead conditions, there was swing on offer. But credit to the WP bowlers, especially Dane Paterson, who found exactly the right areas of prime real estate on the pitch to cause major problems for the Lions top-order.

Paterson turns 35 in little over a month, but he does not look like retirement is on his horizon. And, after all, he has just returned from playing Test cricket for the Proteas in New Zealand, taking three for 39 in the second Test as South African gained a first-innings lead in Hamilton.

Lions openers Josh Richards and Dominic Hendricks seemed to have negotiated the first five-and-a-half overs comfortably enough, but then Paterson struck.

Richards found himself across his stumps and trapped lbw by an inswinger and the next delivery had Zubayr Hamza caught in the slips via a loose drive that seemed more appropriate for a game of garden cricket than a prestige final.

At the end of his next over, Paterson claimed the considerable scalp of the regular Proteas Test captain, Temba Bavuma, for a two-ball duck. Having survived the hat-trick ball, Bavuma could not have done much more with his second delivery, defending compactly on off-stump, but a beautiful away-swinger moved just enough to find the edge and wicketkeeper Verreynne took a fine one-handed catch diving in front of first slip.

Captain Hendricks survived for the first 45 minutes, before edging Beuran Hendricks to Verreynne and when Ryan Rickelton (9) edged Mihlali Mpongwana into the slips playing a loose punch outside off-stump when a leave would have been better in that situation, the Lions top-order had folded quicker than the origami world champion.

Mulder, enjoying a marvellous season with the bat, helped Potgieter to restore some balance, adding 77 for the sixth wicket before he also edged Mpongwana into the slips.

When Bjorn Fortuin, trying an overly-ambitious drive, was caught behind in the same over, the Lions had crashed to 112 for seven. But Potgieter played an inspired innings, his 81 coming off just 106 deliveries with 12 fours and a six.

His aggression paid off and his determination kept the Lions in the game, especially since the sun came out in the afternoon and batting definitely is becoming easier, at least until the back end of this five-day match.

The last pair of Malusi Siboto (32) and Tshepo Moreki (8*) then sat in for over an hour to stretch the total towards respectability.

All-rounder Mpongwana eventually ended the innings to finish with four for 41 in 15 overs, an admirable foil for Paterson, who finished with outstanding figures of 16-8-31-5.

With Moore and Tony de Zorzi (12*) then starting the WP innings so well, in terms of dominant positions, the visitors are definitely enjoying a front-seater.