'Why are we Pretending...?'

Proteas take another step towards World Test Championship Final

In the Christchurch afterglow of England’s romping eight-wicket victory against New Zealand, and the continued success of England’s primary academy, South Africa, Brydon Carse and his 10-wicket match haul cannot be subjected to an excess of praise. From the moment he committed himself to Durham and England eight years ago, he has not faltered. And has always delivered.

Kevin Pietersen’s commitment to England extended to a tattoo of the ‘Three Lions’ on his left shoulder and attempting to sound English. Carse hasn’t even bothered with changing his accent. And he appears to be loved even more for it. Meanwhile, elsewhere…

In November 2016, under thunderous grey skies and on a fiercely grassed pitch, Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott bowled Australia out for 85 and South Africa slipped to 76-4 in reply. The series was at stake with South Africa having won the first Test. History beckoned – only the West Indies had ever won three in a row in Australia.

Temba Bavuma’s 74 from 204 balls in a partnership of 144 with Quinton de Kock took them to a total of 326 and victory by and innings and 80 runs. Having never won a series in almost a century of trying, South Africa had completed a hattrick.

Six months later, at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, it was even starker. The Proteas were 94-6 in reply to the home team’s 268. It was de Kock (91) and Bavuma (89) once again to the rescue with a seventh wicket stand of 160 which led to an eight-wicket victory, all inside the first 20 of his 60 Tests.

Bavuma is the opposite of a flat-track bully. Give him a good pitch and a modest bowling attack on a sunny day and he can become the young cat with its first mouse, aware of what he’s supposed to do but unsure of exactly how to go about it, or unable. More often than not the prey escaped.

Tough batting conditions have always brought out the best in Bavuma, his teammates’ struggles focussing his mind more sharply. Add a hefty dose of ‘context’ and importance to the occasion and he becomes even better. Sports psychologists are divided about whether successful ‘high pressure’ athletes are conscious, in the moment, of the change in their performance. If they are, then why can’t they repeat it in low pressure situations?

Test cricket may be Bavuma’s forte now but in January last year, with the Proteas needing to beat word champions England in an ODI series to qualify automatically for the World Cup, he scored 109 from 102 balls in Bloemfontein to set up a successful chase of 342. The World Cup was at stake, after all.

So, it should probably surprise nobody that he made 70 in extremely challenging conditions in the first innings of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Durban and added 113 in the second innings. There is a place in the final of the World Test Championship at stake, after all.

“That was his best hundred and best Test match,” said coach Shukri Conrad afterwards, confirming the popular verdict of those who have watched his whole career. “He’s come off the back of a long lay-off and he’s battled through some stuff, but that epitomises Temba and what we want to see in this team. That’s what we want to build this team around, not just the mental toughness but sometimes the physical toughness, too,” Conrad said

“Temba was exceptional in this Test match and that 70 went a long way to giving us something respectable to bowl to. Stubbo was exceptional, too, and Marco was brilliant, but Temba was super-special in this Test match.”

Tristan Stubbs’ second Test century and Jansen’s extraordinary 7-13 and 11-wicket match haul contributed at least equally to South Africa’s victory but they may not have enjoyed quite the same opportunity if the first innings score had been 100 rather than 191.

It has not gone unnoticed that the current Test squad is not just devoid of ‘difficult’ characters, but positively brimming with empathetic and generous ones. A workplace full of happy, trusting and trustworthy employees is bound to be successful.

“Nothing is ‘artificial’, they are a very authentic group of players and it’s something that we encourage. Just be yourself and we’ll make this thing work. But they are judged on results and performances, not the types of characters they are. But they are also supremely talented cricketers,” Conrad said. Stubbs shines brightly both ways:

“He’s the heartbeat of the team. The way he celebrated his hundred is the same way he celebrates when any of the bowlers take a wicket. He just loves playing cricket and playing for South Africa, he has so much energy and the rest of the guys feed off that. He trains harder than anyone else but he’s also the first to organise a tee-time for the golfers the next morning.”

Bavuma says the team are “not making too much noise” about their chances of playing the WTC final at Lord’s in June next year. Somewhere, in the inner him, one suspects destiny may be calling.