Telford Vice CRICKET
A fortnight ago there would have been no shortage of schoolchildren able and willing to reel off a list of their South African cricketing heroes. That is no longer the case, because at least one former hero has been exposed as anything but. And because it is by no means clear how much dirt, if any, there is to be unearthed on the dealings of several others.
So we will have to resort to the imperfect science of analysing the performances of those who have not yet felt the heat of the international spotlight in order to form an idea of who could be in the queue to take their bows in a future South African team. It is an imperfect science chiefly because there gapes between the provincial and international game a veritable gulf in terms of the quality of the cricket played and of the cricketers played against.
Then there are the factors such as the increasingly feckless pitches on which our cricketers are expected to raise their game. These do nothing to develop, for instance, genuine spin bowlers.
A limited-overs competition, which differs significantly from its international counterpart in relation to the number of balls used, the restriction of bouncers and how many overs comprise an innings also doesn’t help.
Even so, class will out. Besides, provincial cricket is the only available launchpad for those who are working towards the giant leap upwards. The batsmen among this not-yet-chosen few would seem to include Gerald Dros and Ashwell Prince, and – though he does not strictly qualify for this group having already been blooded – Boeta Dippenaar will be back.
Indeed, Dippenaar is at this stage the most accomplished player of the three with 3E069 runs scored in 44 first-class matches for an average of 43,23. He has scored nine centuries, which points to his most important attribute: Dippenaar is on course to reach the vital balance between aggression and discipline without which no top order batsman can succeed at the highest level.
Dros, who turned 27 last week, could do with a dash of aggression, while Prince (22) lacks discipline. That’s not to say they won’t make it, but Dippenaar, also 22, has a headstart.
The current state of South African spin bowling is a depressing subject which merits its own thorough investigation, so let’s not go there now. By contrast, there is reason to believe that the steady stream of quality fast bowlers who have made it to the top is still spouting strongly.
At 23, Mornantau Hayward has already matured from the scrawny adolescent who not many seasons ago could be heard at lunch intervals firing off unsolicited opinions, most of them unfavourable, on any bowler mentioned. These days he’s quieter off the field and quicker – and straighter and nastier – on it.
Mfuneko Ngam, just 21, loose-limbed and effortlessly quick in the Caribbean tradition, used the domestic season to announce that he could well challenge the pronunciation skills of international television and radio commentators in future.
Andrew Hall (24) batted up such a storm in limited-overs cricket towards the end of the season that most forgot he took 40 wickets at 22,25 in first-class cricket. He was unlucky not to be selected for Sharjah as a one-day allrounder, but his turn has come.
As for an allrounder worthy of a future Test team, it is difficult to ignore the claims of Justin Kemp. Tall and athletic, the regal Kemp (22) played just five first-class matches this summer, but in them he scored two centuries and took 16 wickets at 15,37.
With talents like these straining for their opportunities, the South African team is at least assured of not imploding in West Indian fashion when the icons of the current era – and real icons remain – take that last step across the boundary rope. Happily, there’s plenty more where they came from. Some of them will have found it difficult to concentrate on their schoolwork recently.