SUNDAY, 3 APRIL
An astonishing final few minutes of the fourth day left Bangladesh teetering on the brink of disaster at 10 for three requiring 274 for their most famous test victory ever – perhaps that contributed to their tentativeness in the closing stages of the day’s play.
SATURDAY, 2 APRIL
Joy. What an appropriate name for the first man from Bangladesh to score a test century against South Africa. The 21-year-old left-hander delivered what his country’s batters have struggled for ever since their elevation to test status over two decades ago – obdurate, determined commitment at the top of the order. A brilliant 137 from 326 balls.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy would not be diverted from his mission which was to take his team as close to South Africa’s total of 367 as possible before the wickets ran out. A ‘dasher’ with such ability in the T20 game that even Faf du Plessis signalled him as ‘a special talent to look out for’ during the Bangladesh Premier League a couple of months ago, the young man showed an astonishing ability to change tempo to suit test cricket.
Dean Elgar trusted his two spinners to do the bulk of the bowling in an attempt to gain a match-winning lead but it seemed an error not to bowl third seamer Wiaan Mulder until the 108th over of the innings when there was, and usually is, some swing available at Kingsmead. He duly claimed the ninth wicket with an outswinger.
If 180 overs were all but guaranteed, South Africa would be strong favourites to force a win. Lizaad Williams, who claimed 3-54 on debut, believes a victory is possible “…although it is going to take a lot of hard work from all of us.”
There is an unwritten rule amongst international cricketers that credit to opposing players should be delivered in small doses, preferably through gritted teeth, but Williams was clearly impressed.
"We didn’t know too much about him before the game but he was very organised and didn’t take the short ball on until after he reached his century. Then he changed gears and started to take the initiative away from us. It was a very good innings." It was indeed.
The hazards of hosting a test match. Not just local but international derision was heaped on Kingsmead and Dolphins Cricket for the embarrassing 35-minute delay to the start of play on the day because of a sightscreen malfunction.
Two years to prepare for a test match and they mess it up, said the uninformed. The reality is, that every international venue in the country hands over control to CSA for a test match seven days before the start of the game. CSA brings in their own ‘events team’ which take over sponsorship activations etc. KZN and Dolphins Cricket did their bit – and copped the abuse for a horrible mistake which made international cricket headlines, and was entirely out of their hands or control. Fetch that.
FRIDAY, 1 APRIL
The Simon Harmer ‘story’ is fascinating, invigorating and inspiring and just the sort of tale South African cricket needs to give it a much-needed lift.
Five of the best players in the country chose to play in the IPL ahead of a test series which, if won, could elevate the Proteas to within touching distance of a place in the second edition of the World Test Championship final, and here comes a player returning to national colours at the risk of jeopardising a career in English county cricket which could have, and conceivably still might make him financially secure for life.
Harmer was hastily and brutally discarded from the Proteas set-up in 2015 after the ill-fated tour of India and had to wait 55 tests until his recall having claimed 491 wickets in first-class cricket at an eye-popping average of 22.52 in the meantime.
Snide comments about his decision to take a Kolpak contract with Essex in England were as unnecessary as they were ill-informed. It wasn’t even a full contract initially. Pay-as-you-go was closer to the truth. With prospects dwindling in South Africa, he had no choice.
“Essex gave me the platform to go over there as a Kolpak player to find myself again. I went there on the back of being dropped from the South African team and the ‘A’ side and not knowing whether I was going to get another Franchise contract. I had a lot of self-doubt and Essex gave me the chance to rediscover what made me successful and learning how to be a match-winner for them and getting comfortable again with that role,” Harmer said after his return of 4-42 from 20 overs reduced Bangladesh to 98-4 in reply to South Africa’s total of 367 to which Harmer contributed an unbeaten 38 from 73 balls with four fours and a six.
His performances for Essex have been consistently extraordinary, helping the county to two Championship titles with 491 wickets at an average of 22.52.
“The more I did it the more I started to believe in myself again, knowing that I can win games of cricket for team as an orthodox off-spinner.
“I had my reasons for signing as a Kolpak player, I can’t speak for everybody else but for me it was about opportunity. There was a lot of media and press about how lucrative playing county cricket is with the British pound etc, but for me it was only about opportunity. I was only playing one format for the Warriors when I left and I was playing all three formats when I went over there, so that’s what it was about for me. I was painted with the same brush as everyone else, which is fine, but your currency as a bowler is all about wickets and performances, winning games and trophies, so I just put my blinkers on and tried to achieve that.
“I definitely feel a sense of vindication after coming back but there are still questions, am I good enough to play international cricket, I’ve done it for Essex and I’ve come back and taken wickets for the Titans, but am I good enough? Four wickets doesn’t mean I am, but putting in a performance is important for my self-belief, it’s been good…”
Very good indeed.
THURSDAY, 31 MARCH
This wasn’t the first test match to start with background distractions and it certainly won’t be the last but the sense of anticipation was palpable among the players as they warmed up on the outfield.
Bangladesh were especially excited (or nervous?) about the sight of the pitch which had not been shaved bare as they are used to at home, and as they had been expecting at Kingsmead. The grass looked luxuriantly green but it wasn’t luxuriant at all. Those with knowledge of the venue could quickly see that the surface on which the grass was growing was hard and dry meaning they would be minimal seam movement.
Nonetheless, the tourists duly played their selection ‘safe’ by picking seven specialist batters and just four frontline bowlers, only one of whom was a spinner. South Africa raised eyebrows by heading in the opposite direction picking two specialist spinners for the first time in a home test match since the 1970 test against Australia at Newlands. Special prize for anyone who can name them. No? Kelly Seymour and Grahame Chevalier. That nugget of fascination came from – no surprises – the one and only Andrew Samson.
It is Simon Harmer’s first test for South Africa since the ill-fated 2015 tour of India during which time he has claimed 491 first-class wickets at an average of 22.52. It has been a long road back to international cricket and he thoroughly deserved the recall. Harmer turns the ball as much, if not more than any other finger spinner in the world so there is every reason to believe he will pose more of a threat to the batters than Bangladesh’s accurate but largely innocuous off-spinner, Mehidy Hasan.
Kingsmead and all its staff worked their backsides off to make a success of the test and were hopeful of a decent attendance now that stadiums are allowed 50 per cent of their capacity. Unfortunately, there were closer to 50 spectators than 50 per cent. The spectacle wasn’t helped by a 35-minute delay to the start of play when the sightscreen malfunctioned with the players ready to go at 10am. They milled about for 15 frustrating minutes before being led back to the change-rooms.
At 233 for four having been asked to bat first, it was undoubtedly South Africa’s day. But there is a long way to go. Weather permitting!
WEDNESDAY, 30 MARCH
For all the disappointment and distraction of five of the country’s best players choosing to IPL ahead of test cricket, the usual excitement and apprehension before a test match was in abundant evidence before the first test between the Proteas and Bangladesh at Kingsmead on Wednesday. The prospect of two, or even three debuts added to the occasion.
Daryn Dupavillon could be handed the new ball on his home ground while Khaya Zondo, also a Durbanite, seems likely to form part of the middle order batting unless Ryan Rickelton is given a debut instead. Sarel Erwee provided further local knowledge and is fresh from a maiden century in the second test in New Zealand three weeks ago. There is a wealth of inexperience. The IPL players have taken 128 test caps of knowledge away with them.
Every effort appears to have been made to produce a traditional Kingsmead ‘green mamba’ of a pitch to assist South Africa’s seamers and negate the threat of an excellent quartet of Bangladeshi spinners but, the venue has strongly favoured spinners for the last five years and it is difficult to change the natural, organic tendencies of a cricket pitch.
“I've never seen the colour of the grass at Kingsmead like it is right now,” said the fourth local in the squad, left arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. “Traditionally Kingsmead spins, and I would hope it does from my personal point of view. But I think it will be a decent, traditional pitch.” In other words, even if there is more live, green grass than usual, the underlying, dry soil conditions will prevail sooner rather than later.
The home side have an excellent second spinning option in Simon Harmer, the most prolific wicket-taker in domestic cricket anywhere in the world over the last three years plying his trade for Essex. Dean Elgar said on Tuesday that the ‘two-spinner route’ had been keenly discussed – but is unlikely to materialise.
No doubt Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and the young Marco Jansen will be keeping as close an eye as possible on proceedings in Durban but they have made their choice and will stand by it. What happens if the new brigade prevail and win the series? Will the big names be brought straight back into the test squad for the tour of England in July, with no cricket having been played between the end of the IPL and the squad selection?
Anyway, it’s the night before a test match and the usual adrenalin stream is working as efficiently as usual. Let’s hope it stays that way in future years and this year’s landmark does not to prove to be the end of the ‘primacy’ of test cricket.
SUNDAY, 27 MARCH
Bangladesh test captain Mominul Haque appeared to waver between harsh reality about the truths of Bangladesh’s recent test form and results – and an equally fervent belief that things can change ahead of the three-test series against South Africa which starts at Kingsmead on Thursday.
Reminded of the historic test victory against New Zealand just a couple of months ago, Mominul said: “We cannot think about the past, like our win at Mount Maunganui, we need to be focused on day one to make sure that we can dominate for five days. I am confident of winning and, as a captain, all I want is a win.
“We have had to struggle for two to three years in test cricket. We are a good one-day team but, to do well in tests, we need to put in a lot of hard work going forward to do well in tests.”
The tourists’ 2:1 success in the ODI series has obviously buoyed belief that test success can lead to success in the longest format: “Certain performance will give confidence to the test team. Whenever someone does well in one format he carries the confidence in the other format. The format is different and the conditions might be different, too, but at the end of the day that confidence helps,” he said.
“Everyone is aware that we have a good pace attack now and the pace bowlers need to take up the challenge. To reach this far we have taken a long time and they will be more experienced through playing games so, hopefully, it will be easy for them to perform,” he said.
Taskin Ahmed, man of the series during the ODIs, will undoubtedly be a key man – good or bad – during the tests but Mominul was unequivocal that that the country’s greatest cricketer, Shakib-al-Hasan, will play a decisive role in the outcome of the series – whether he is there or not. Shakib was originally ruled out of the series but then reinstated until family illness enforced a return home. They are homing he may return in time for the second test in Gqberha.
“Most of the time he is not available. We feel lucky when he is. It is easier when he is around as we can play either another batsman or a bowler. But if he is not available then we have to try and win matches with the available resources we have,” Mominul said.
Most of the test specialists prepared during a ‘camp’ at the Gary Kirsten Academy in Cape Town: “The camp was very good. We worked really hard focusing on how to use the condition and all those things. Kirsten was there for two to three days but no one can change a batsman in such a short time. He shared his experience and focused on letting us know what length our bowlers should bowl and how the batters will go about constructing their innings, and other things.”
THURSDAY, 24 MARCH
Bangladesh will play an intra-squad two-day practise match in Chatsworth over the weekend as their only preparation for the two-test series against South Africa which begins down the road at Kingsmead on Thursday. Rarely will a touring team have looked forward to such a mundane and inadequate fixture as much as Russell Domingo’s team.
As tempting as it may be for South Africa’s players and supporters to brush off the 2:1 series loss in the ODIs, it cannot be done. The immediate and the after effects will linger for a long time – many years. Maybe longer. Unless the team returns to serious winning ways right now.
Test captain Dean Elgar spoke with deep-rooted passion before the IPL ‘big five’ made their decision to play the Indian tournament in it’s entirety rather than delay by a fortnight to play for their country against Bangladesh with a spot in the World Test Championship a realistic possibility.
Commentators, journalists and even some supporters have rightly been defending Kagiso Rabada and the others for making a pragmatic decision to play for their IPL Franchises ahead of their country but Elgar, as always, was ‘old school’ calling their decision a ‘test of loyalty’ and reminding them that ‘playing for South Africa was what got them in to the IPL, not the other way around.’
Until a player, or anyone within the squad, comes out and flatly, strongly denies that the team was heavily divided by the split loyalties, then speculation is inevitable. It is not even speculation, it is fact. The Proteas squad has been working hard, collectively, to achieve some outstanding results in the last year and then, suddenly, the ‘all for one for all’ sentiment is exposed as a sham. We all stand together – when it suits us.
Nobody plays poor shots or makes poor decisions deliberately in international cricket, not in the last decade, anyway. But cricket is a deeply emotional sport in which split-second moments of skill and drama and overridden by the eight hours or five days over which the game is spread. If players are not in the right ‘space’ before the contest begins, those split-second moments will rarely go well.
Still, onward to the test series. Perhaps there will a glorious backlash with a team untainted by IPL temptations. Lizaad Williams to lead the bowling attack? His chest would be bursting with pride. Beuran Hendricks, too, will be handful for Bangladesh. Perhaps even a two-man spin attack with Keshav Maharaj and a return for Simon Harmer?
Lurches and stumbles abound but there is always something to look forward to. South Africa still has a lot of quality cricketers.