Proteas in Sri Lanka, day 6

Drama on the first, full day of Proteas training in Colombo when Beuran Hendricks had to be stitched up after a full-blooded drive from Dwaine Pretorius clattered into his head opening a wound which required eight stitches.

“Everybody was very excited to be in our first full session and I was still keen to be involved after my bowling spell,” Hendricks explained. “So I offered to help the hard-working coaching staff by giving some extra throw-downs to some of the batters. The guys are obviously keen to face as much spin and slower balls as possible so that’s what I was throwing to Dwaine.

“But I threw one just a little bit too full, and a little bit too wide, and he popped it straight back at me – at some speed. I tried to get my hands in the way but it hit the end of my fingers and flew into my eye. The Doc tested me for concussion and, thankfully, there doesn’t seem to be a problem - but I did have to get eight stitches. It’s bit of bummer on the first full day of training on tour but I’m grateful to have come pretty much unscathed out of the situation,” Hendricks said. ‘Unscathed’ is not how many of us would have described the situation. 

Hendricks has toured these parts before so is not as startled by the humidity as those who are touring Sri Lanka for the first time: “It’s monsoon season so the outfield is really heavy with all the rain and it’s hard on your legs. You need to hydrate a lot more than you are used to and spend decent time in the gym to make sure your muscles are ‘on point’. Recovery time is also really important which means jumping in the pool soon after every training session,” Hendricks said. Silver lining to every cloud. 

The left arm seamer spoke knowledgeably about the difference in conditions and the adaptations the quick bowlers need to make to be successful. “The pitches are obviously slower than in South Africa and there is less bounce so we have to adjust our lengths, but sometimes it’s only by a metre, even half a metre,” Hendricks said. For followers and lovers of cricket who have never bowled a ball in anger, that’s like asking your hairdresser to take half a centimetre less off your usual cut. Yes, they’re all professionals, but they’re not going to get those margins right all the time. 

Hendricks has been ‘in and out’ of the Proteas teams for several years now but, reassuringly, he says he knows he has never been “thrown away.” 

“It’s a privilege to be with the national team and, like everyone else, it was always my dream. There have been disappointments along the way but my motto has always been to be prepared and stay patient. The coaches communicate well and tell you where you are,” Hendricks said. It would appear that Hendricks knows he is currently a ‘reserve’ fast bowler behind Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje with an all rounder and two spinners likely to form the frontline attack. 

Lunch was such an indulgence today (too delicious to ignore) that I punished myself with a 9.2km walk up and down our hotel ‘bubble’ corridor. At least we’re now allowed out of our rooms. 

The TV director for the series, Hemant Buch, is both a wizard of his art and an old, dear friend. And here’s the weird thing – we’ve been in the same TWO hotels for the last week and still haven’t seen each other. Bizarre. But he’s a brilliant photographer as well as director, and I’m sure he won’t mind me stealing his photograph of the view from the hotel we’ll be in for the rest of the tour.  At this stage we have been told that the swimming pool is out-of-bounds at all times. A rebellion is brewing.