Online Reporter
IF South Africa finally end their tag as the nearly men of cricket and win the World Test Championship, which gets underway at Lord’s on Wednesday, the Proteas will remember the small part which their neighbours played in the countdown.
It’s hardly surprising that the first people the Proteas asked to lend them their ears were Zimbabwe, the guys next door.
Of course, the weather played havoc with what was supposed to be a four-day warm-up match but there were some boxes which the Proteas ticked.
South Africa had not played Zimbabwe since October 2022, and haven’t hosted them since October 2018 or visited them since August-September 2014.
But they convinced Zimbabwe to extend their stay in England to play them in a four-day warm-up game in Arundel.
There are worse places to be in than the picturesque town in the South Downs — though both South Africa and Zimbabwe were actually based a 40-minute drive away in Portsmouth.
There was little to be gained for Zimbabwe, apart from some insight into a team they will host later this month. But they still agreed to play.
So understanding have the not-so-noisy-neighbours been that they happily agreed to let South Africa bat first to give their line-up time in the middle.
The Zimbabwe coaching staff — Justin Sammons, Charl Langeveldt and Rivash Gobind — are all South Africans, so it has also been explained as something of a patriotic act.
Overall, the Chevrons gave South Africa as decent a challenge as they could on a flat track.
The Zimbabwe bills have been paid mostly by their hosts (the ECB provided a touring fee for Trent Bridge, and the ICC paid for this add-on against South Africa).
There’s a distinctly Liverpudlian flavour among South Africa’s leadership group.
So it’s hardly surprising they’re getting by with a little help from their friends as they prepare for the World Test Championship showdown against Australia.
Head Coach Shukri Conrad, batting coach Ashwell Prince, and captain Temba Bavuma all support Liverpool and are fresh off celebrating their league title win.
Rickelton went on to top score with 62.
But Zimbabwe weren’t quite as accommodating to Aiden Markram, who flicked 21-year old Alex Falao aerially to Wessly Madhevere at square leg, and departed for 13 off 15 balls.
That meant Conrad was forced to show his tactical hand early when it comes to the least certain spot in the side: No. 3.
Conrad had initially handed it to Tristan Stubbs in August last year, then let Wiaan Mulder bat there with a broken finger against Sri Lanka in Durban — seemingly because that was his only way of contributing in that match — and has also used Rickelton there briefly.
Now that Rickelton has secured the opening berth, one of Stubbs, Mulder or Tony de Zorzi could bat at No. 3 at Lord’s.
At Arundel, Mulder was given the spot, which is either an indication of how South Africa will line-up at the final or a bluff.
On the evidence of the 49 balls he faced, Mulder appeared a serious candidate, and batted with a good measure of circumspection, especially as Rickelton was in full flow at the other end.
Though Mulder looked aggrieved when given out lbw to a Tanaka Chivanga delivery that kept low, he made 26 runs, and was generally solid in defence. — Sports Reporter/Cricinfo
