A Boland blitz between the raindrops
From two frontline spinners on the sidelines to Boland's strikes, the opening day had its moments, but rain ensured there was precious little cricket
It started as a tale of two spurned spinners, became a tale of two batters, then a tale about a cult fast bowler. But there was no happy ending, unless you’re an Eastern Caper unsure of where your next litre of water might come from.
But about those spinners. Keshav Maharaj and Nathan Lyon have been dropped from Test XIs before. It happened to Lyon in the first two matches of the 2013 Ashes - when Ashton Agar was preferred - and in their last two-day night Tests, when Australia went all pace. But not for 13 years, except when he has been injured, has Lyon been left-out of a red-ball Test.
Australia put all their faith in pace again for the second Test at St George’s Park, no doubt a decision dictated by the weather - the first day, on Sunday, was limited to 12.2 overs. Monday’s forecast is dire: an 80% chance of rain, most of it in the morning. But the skies are expected to clear from Tuesday. Does anyone remember how to win a three-day game?
Like Lyon, Maharaj has been stood down to accommodate an extra quick; against Pakistan in Centurion in December 2024. But this is different. Simon Harmer is also in South Africa’s squad. Even so, until the toss on Sunday it was taken as read that Maharaj was South Africa’s first-choice spinner. Maybe he still is. But Harmer is the only specialist slow poisoner playing in this match.
Temba Bavuma and Pat Cummins tossed on schedule, and South Africa were inserted. Rain descended even before the captains had left the field to hang up their blazers, and the start of play was held up by two hours.
When we did see cricket it wasn’t difficult to figure out who was South Africa’s first-choice opener. Aiden Markram granted Mitchell Starc an audience that lasted an over and yielded no runs. Marques Ackerman, on debut, handled Josh Hazlewood the same way. Starc resumed to Markram, who drove surely and crisply and sent the ball scything through the wet covers for four. Markram repeated the dose in Starc’s next over.
And all the while Ackerman hadn’t moved from nought. He had faced 12 balls, some more convincingly than others, and was discovering how difficult Test cricket is. But he was still there.
Three deliveries later Ackerman squirted Hazlewood through the cordon for a single. All of 394 men have been dismissed for a duck on debut. No. 395 would not come in. Not on Sunday, anyway.
Ackerman didn’t have the chance to make his heart stop thumping so loudly by facing another delivery. His run had barely been inked into the scorebook when the rain returned and play was interrupted again.
When it resumed 43 minutes later, Australia limited the damage from the first dozen deliveries to two singles. Hazlewood bowled three of those balls. The rest were sniping thunderbolts from the whipping arm of Scott Boland. He also sent down the 13th, which proved unlucky for Markram - it zagged towards him, took the inside edge and rattled the stumps deathly. David Bedingham arrived, took guard, tapped his bat, and edged an away swinger to Alex Carey.
One seamed in. One seamed away. Both took wickets. Whatever must Ackerman have been thinking at the non-striker’s end?
To Bavuma fell the responsibility of denying Boland a hattrick. He did, but only just. Another inswinger was on its way to trapping South Africa’s captain bang in front when he managed to lay a sliver of bat on the damned thing.
Ackerman had garnered four more runs when the rain drove the players from the field for the last time. Bavuma had four. South Africa were 20/2.
Boland, the frightener-in-chief, had figures of 3-2-5-2. He deserved them.
Just like the Eastern Cape deserved the rain. The province has been in various stages of drought since 2015. Cricket will have to forgive people here wanting as much rain as possible to fall on Monday.
