Ken Borland

South Africa are chasing a record-breaking 305 to win the first Test against India at Centurion and, sadly for the home side, they are already four wickets down heading into the final day, with Kagiso Rabada honest enough to say the tourists’ attack are showing exactly why they are so highly-rated.

Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are a trio of demolishers that are even more deadly on a SuperSport Park pitch that is offering prodigious movement and variable bounce with some deliveries standing up and others scuttling through low.

“India have quality bowlers. Shami and Bumrah are experienced now and Siraj has been bowling well recently too. It’s a good attack, full of pace and skill. They have showed why people say they are so good,” Rabada said after close of play on the fourth day on Wednesday.

Rabada also enjoyed bowling on the SuperSport Park pitch on Wednesday, taking 4/42 in 17 lively overs. Things went much better for South Africa with the ball in the second innings as they bowled India out for just 174, giving themselves an outside chance of winning the game.

“We tightened up our lines today, but the pitch was also a bit slow on Day 1 and then it has obviously quickened up. That made the movement quicker and gives the batsman less time to react, the ball shoots through more.

“But this game is definitely still winnable for us, we have to show belief. We will strategise and work out how to approach the final day overnight. But we have to believe, you need that.

“There has been some chat about when it will or won’t rain, but that’s an uncontrollable and we have to come out tomorrow thinking we will play a full day’s cricket,” Rabada said.

The leader of the Proteas attack also had some kind words for his co-paceman Marco Jansen, who also took four wickets in the Indian second innings to complete a satisfactory debut.

“Marco is a phenomenal talent as everyone has now seen. He’s tall so he gets bounce, but he also swings the ball. He’s got it all – pace, bounce and swing.

“He’s justified his selection and he’s a hard-worker who wants to learn and is really keen to do well for the team,” Rabada said.

But on the final day, South Africa’s hopes will rest with captain Dean Elgar, who has scrapped for more than three hours and is 52 not out.

“Dean has done this countless times, fighting when things are at their toughest. He knows the job is not over, but he’s doing his best for the country, the team and himself. He’s leading from the front,” Rabada said.

South Africa’s poor placing of ninth in the Super League for ICC World Cup qualifying means it is imperative they cash in on the visit of the Netherlands later this month and win all three ODIs, but the selectors on Wednesday still announced a Proteas squad missing numerous frontline players.

Keshav Maharaj will lead a South African team in which Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi and Lungi Ngidi are the only regulars, along with the two all-rounders Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo.

But as selection convenor Victor Mpitsang explained, it is a necessity due to player welfare concerns. The stars who have been rested have basically spent most of the last five months going from bio-bubbles in the West Indies, to Ireland, to Sri Lanka and then the UAE. And they will re-enter another bubble in a months time for the Test series against India.

“It’s so difficult because we need to make sure we play well and beat the Netherlands, but the challenge is that a majority of the guys have been in bubbles for the last few months,” Mpitsang told The Citizen on Wednesday.

“They need a mental break, so we have given them some rest with a long, important summer ahead. The selectors and the coach had discussions and Mark Boucher wanted a certain group of players to have a mental break.

“He recommended certain players and we spoke to them as well. A guy like Keshav was confident that he could handle another week, he was looking forward to playing and it’s another opportunity for him on the captaincy side.”

So it means several players who probably will find no room in the Proteas inn around Christmas time will now get their chance in the Green and Gold.

And for Khaya Zondo and Wayne Parnell it means a return to the national team for the first time in several years.

Zondo in prime form at the moment having scored an unbeaten double century a fortnight ago, is back after a three-year absence. Mpitsang said his return comes as the selectors try to fill slots in the middle-order.

“Our batting line-up is a bit top-heavy, but Khaya has a specific role and experience in the middle-order and is in helluva good form. He played some crucial T20 innings for the Dolphins and paced things nicely.

“And I think Wayne has really grown and developed since he last played for the Proteas four years ago. He has done exceptionally well coming in at No.7 for Western Province.

“He is so mature because of the amount of cricket he has played … and he’s a left-arm fast bowler. All-rounders like him make such a difference because it gives us the opportunity to play a second spinner while still having three frontline quicks,” Mpitsang explained.

Proteas squad: Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Ryan Rickelton, Zubayr Hamza, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, Kyle Verreynne, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Sisanda Magala, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Daryn Dupavillon.

The Central Gauteng Lions celebrated their second successive win in the CSA Four-Day Domestic Series with a thumping innings victory in just three days over the Eastern Province Warriors at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The hosts were left contemplating a dismal batting performance that saw them bowled out for just 54 on Sunday, to go with their paltry 96 in the first innings.

It meant the Lions’ first innings total of 170 was enough for an innings-and-20-run win.

Paceman Sisanda Magala was the hero on Sunday with 6/30 in 13 overs on his former home ground.

The Free State Knights attack was also dominant in Potchefstroom as they bowled out the North-West Dragons for 197, leaving them with just 17 runs to get for a 10-wicket win.

North-West were forced to follow-on after Mbulelo Budaza’s 4/64 saw them dismissed for 237 in their first innings, Patrick Kruger also taking 3/12 with the ball to follow up his blazing 192* with the bat.

Young Gerald Coetzee was the chief destroyer in the second innings with 4/47.

The Western Cape derby in Paarl saw Western Province take a big 177-run lead on the first innings as opener Tony de Zorzi (129) and Zubayr Hamza (94) added 170 for the second wicket to lay the platform for their total of 444.

A solid batting display saw Kyle Verreynne and Aviwe Mgijima score 40s and Mihlali Mpongwana and Yves Kamanzi put on 53 for the last wicket.

The Boland opening pair of Isma-eel Gafieldien (60*) and Pieter Malan (41*) did well to get the deficit down to 71 with their unbeaten stand of 106 before the close of play.

A slow pitch at SuperSport Park did not make for the most adorable cricket as the KZN Dolphins piled up 433 all out to lead the Northerns Titans by nine runs after the first innings.

Opener Sarel Erwee was patience personified as he batted for 370 balls in scoring 163, sharing valuable partnerships with Bryce Parsons (78), Keegan Petersen (41) and Jason Smith (59).

Off-spinner Simon Harmer came into the game well in the afternoon, taking 4/106, with paceman Corbin Bosch getting three wickets.

Northerns openers Grant Mokoena (58) and Neil Brand (58*) played some gorgeous strokes as they put on 125 for the first wicket.

A great catch by Kerwin Mungroo at backward point off Daryn Dupavillon removed Mokoena five balls before bad light stopped play with the Titans on 126/1, leading by 117.

Fast bowler Duanne Olivier is starring in four-day domestic cricket, back in South Africa for the first time since February 2019, when he took four wickets in the Proteas’ infamous second Test loss to Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth, when the tiny island nation became the first subcontinental team to win a Test series here.

He then added to the sense of shock in South African cricket at the time by taking a Kolpak contract to play in English county cricket for Yorkshire. Olivier did play in the Mzansi Super League for the Jozi Stars at the end of 2019, but with the Kolpak door now closed, the 29-year-old should be back in the local game permanently.

Olivier was named in a powerful four-man Central Gauteng Lions pace attack on Friday in their CSA Four-Day Domestic Series match against the North-West Dragons at the Wanderers, and was in fine form, taking four for 50 in 14.2 overs. And it wasn’t just all fire and brimstone either, there were clearly intelligent plans at play too.

As a fiery strike bowler, Olivier is always expected to take wickets and be the spearhead of a successful team. Certainly in English county cricket, he will be looked to by Yorkshire as the overseas pro who will win them matches and get them into contention for silverware.

Despite fairly modest returns of 75 wickets in 25 first-class games for Yorkshire at an average of 32.42, Olivier has been signed as an overseas pro through to the end of next season.

The owner of an excellent Test record of 48 wickets in 10 matches at 19.25 will have the same level of expectation from the Lions, especially since their home base of the Wanderers is ideally suited to his high-energy, high-impact bowling that can drag life out of most pitches.

Olivier said he is loving the pressure that is on him to perform.

“I always feel pressure because I am always trying to do well for the team. I actually enjoy it, it’s a part of the game and it helps a lot that in the UK, you are also always under pressure,” Olivier said on the eve of his Lions debut.

“This is a different structure now in South African cricket, which means there is different pressure, and I will embrace that. Every year is a challenge, with different ups and downs, and every year I just understand my game a bit better.

“Obviously cricket is performance-based and if you take wickets then it looks like you’re making an impact, but for me it’s about the process and how well I have bowled.

“It’s always nice in Johannesburg because it’s more suited to fast bowling. But I will just try to keep it as simple as possible. What I’ve achieved before is irrelevant, it’s three or four years since I last played at the Wanderers, and it’s a fresh challenge,” Olivier said.