Ken Borland

South Africa’s men’s cricket team have again made short work of Bangladesh, winning the second Test in Gqeberha by a massive 332 runs, and once again it was spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer who led the way for the Proteas by bowling their opposition out for just 80 in their second innings on Monday.

Maharaj took 7/40, becoming the first bowler in Test history to take seven wickets in the fourth innings of consecutive matches, while Harmer claimed 3/34. In the two Tests combined, Maharaj took 16 wickets and Harmer 13.

For South African fans weaned on a diet of tall fast bowlers dominating the opposition with pace and bounce, it has been a refreshing change.

You have to give the selectors, coaching staff and players great credit for the adaptability they have shown in another testing summer. Powerhouses India were beaten on pitches which were a daunting trial for batsmen, the Proteas then drew a series in New Zealand against the reigning World Test champions, and Bangladesh, who some considered favourites following their win in the ODI series, were dispatched 2-0.

Maharaj and Harmer have developed into a potent spin-bowling combination, one that adds another valuable element to the South African attack. One hopes they can continue playing together whenever conditions are suitable.

The good people of Gqeberha will no doubt be basing, in part, their decision to buy tickets for the second Test between South Africa and Bangladesh starting at St George’s Park on Friday on whether local hero Simon Harmer will be playing, but veteran groundsman Adrian Carter told The Citizen on Tuesday that he can’t guarantee the pitch will support the use of two spinners.

Harmer, who began his professional career playing for Eastern Province in 2009, dovetailed superbly with Keshav Maharaj in the first Test, taking seven wickets in the match, as well as scoring a vital 38 not out in the first innings as South Africa won by 220 runs at Kingsmead.

“St George’s Park has had the reputation for being low and slow, but this pitch is looking very sporty, although we are still a few days out from the Test,” Carter said.

“We’re aware of what South Africa want, so there won’t be too many surprises, but there is a lot of grass still on the pitch. Local opinion amongst the players is that if it seams it will also spin.

“It turns off the grass though, so it’s not sharp fizz like off the clay in India, but the ends are fairly worn because we’ve had a lot of cricket on the field and there should be some purchase.

“There is rain expected on the weekend though and there’s more assistance for the seamers if the Easterly blows, it lifts the grass up a bit. But it needs to be a gentle wind and it needs to be overcast,” Carter said.

If South Africa do bolster their seam attack then Glenton Stuurman, who has taken 29 wickets in nine matches at his new home ground in Gqeberha, could come in for his second Test. He could replace either Duanne Olivier, whose performance was inadequate at Kingsmead, or Wiaan Mulder, who played only a bit part in the first Test and looked extremely uncertain with the bat.

Long-term, Mulder’s place has to be in serious doubt due to his lack of runs – averaging just 14.40 in 15 innings – and there have also been mutterings that CSA could go back to enforcing a quota of six players of colour, including three Black Africans, in every Proteas starting XI and not just as an average over the season.

Mulder would be the most likely player to make way for a player of colour, but the balance of the Proteas side would also be severely affected if that move comes to fruition.

Even if does not, if Harmer wants to have a long-term playing future in the XI, then he is probably going to have to ensure his batting is good enough to fill the No.7 position. It makes perfect sense, however, for the Proteas management to really want him for the England tour, where some of the venues could have turning pitches and he has enjoyed immense success in county cricket.

When you post 367 in your first innings and then reduce the opposition to 101 for five and your spinners have been as dominant as South Africa’s were, there is bound to be some disappointment when your lead is whittled down to just 75 by the end of the day, but that’s what happened to the Proteas on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead on Saturday.

Thanks to the epic defiance of opening batsman Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who was last man out for 137 made in 442 minutes off 326 balls, Bangladesh made it all the way to 298 all out.

It meant South Africa still emerged with a handy lead of 69, which openers Sarel Erwee and Dean Elgar extended to 75 as they reached six without loss in the four overs of their second innings that were possible before bad light and rain stopped play at 4.10pm.

But it could have been so much more with better bowling and catching. Most crucially, Liton Das was dropped on 16, a straightforward chance to Dean Elgar at first slip off Lizaad Williams, and he went on to score 41 and share an 82-run partnership with Joy that lifted Bangladesh from 101 for five to 183 for six.

There were three other half-chances that went down too through the innings, and South Africa, who were able to take the second new ball in the second over after lunch with Bangladesh on 186 for six, will be disappointed by how Williams and Duanne Olivier lost the lengths that they had been bowling earlier.

Williams had bowled Liton in the 79^th over with a beautiful delivery with the old ball that nipped back sharply, but Joy and Yasir Ali were flourishing against the new ball, having added 33 when Yasir fell for 22 to a car-crash of a run out.

But Bangladesh’s next partnership between Joy and Mehidy Hasan Miraz was smoothly underway as they added 51 for the eighth wicket before Wiaan Mulder had Mehidy caught at slip for 29.

Joy then accelerated, quickly cutting the deficit from exactly 100 to 69 as he struck 27 runs off his next 17 deliveries with five fours and a six.

But the promising Williams ended his fun by having him caught at slip, to finish with three for 54 in 18.5 overs in his debut Test.

Simon Harmer failed to add to his wicket-tally of the previous day, finishing with four for 103 in 40 overs as the Bangladesh batsmen showed much more intent against him and Keshav Maharaj on Saturday.

The Proteas are considering playing two frontline spinners in the first Test against Bangladesh starting on Thursday at Kingsmead, where South Africa have had disappointing results in recent years, captain Dean Elgar has confirmed.

The Proteas have lost seven of their last 10 Tests at Kingsmead, dating back to 2008. They have repeatedly expressed their frustration at the dry, low and slow, spin-friendly pitch that has developed there.

But this time, with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi all unavailable, they could well play both orthodox left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and offie Simon Harmer.

“We’ve been having really good discussions about the best combination to take 20 wickets and we’re sitting with three different combinations as regards the bowlers,” Elgar said.

“Playing two spinners in Durban is very much a talking point. We are aware of the conditions, it’s generally slower and lower here, and our squad has covered a lot of areas.

“We obviously want more grass on the wicket and it seems that it has grown a bit. But it helps if you put more water on the pitch as well. We hope to get a nice and hard surface, with more pace and bounce.

“But we’re not too fazed by playing on slower wickets, we just need to do the basics better for longer,” Elgar said.

So what are the three permutations for the starting XI?

Disappointment for all-rounder Mulder

If conditions are going to be really tough for batting, or there is pressure to play three Black Africans, then South Africa could choose seven specialist batsmen, giving both Ryan Rickelton and Khaya Zondo their Test debuts. That would mean leaving out all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and probably fielding just one spinner and three pacemen.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Zondo, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla, Olivier/Stuurman.

Two spinners, the most likely XI

The team that would be the most balanced and cover the most bases includes six specialist batsmen, a seam-bowling all-rounder, two frontline quicks and two spinners lining up. I’ll back this to be the team if the Kingsmead pitch is as it has been in recent years.

Lizaad Williams, so impressively controlled and effective in domestic cricket this season, could get the nod ahead of Duanne Olivier and Glenton Stuurman, who were both dropped after the first Test hiding in New Zealand.

Rather than choose a third, middle-of-the-road paceman, rather go with the four best bowlers, which in this squad includes two quality spinners in Maharaj and Harmer.

This would involve being slightly down on transformation targets, however, with only five players of colour and two Black Africans.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Mulder, Harmer, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla.

Placing their hopes in pace bowling

If the Proteas go their traditional, unsuccessful-at-Kingsmead, route of having a pace-based attack and just one spinner, then Lutho Sipamla will be joined by Lizaad Williams and Duanne Olivier, or Glenton Stuurman if CSA insist on placing six players of colour in the team.

Recent pitches in Durban suggest this attack will not be as effective, but if there is a bit more grass present, and more pace and bounce, then it could be worth the gamble.

Team – Elgar, Erwee, Petersen, Bavuma, Rickelton, Verreynne, Mulder, Maharaj, Williams, Sipamla, Stuurman/Olivier.