Battered Steyn ‘will deliver’

Despite the beating he took in his first game of cricket in five months, Dale Steyn (below) is back in the South African squad for their Test tour of Sri Lanka next month after last week returning to action for Hampshire in a oneday game after a heel injury.

Steyn was the most expensive Hampshire bowler with 1/80 in his 10 overs as Somerset chased down a massive 357 to win off the last ball of the match, but he bowled at good pace and did have two catches dropped off his bowling and delivered a tidy penultimate over.

The 34-year-old will be spending the rest of the month with the English county though, playing both four-day and one-day cricket, so he will get plenty of overs under his belt before continuing the comeback trail in Sri Lanka with the Proteas.

“We know he’s only had a few overs in England, but his selection is all about knowing he has the experience, now it will just be a matter of checking his match fitness in Sri Lanka, and that will come with the more overs he bowls. A fit Dale Steyn can definitely make a difference for us in Sri Lanka.

“We didn’t want to be in the position where we don’t include him but then he bowls really well for Hampshire and he’s not part of our squad. I’m optimistic he will bowl many more overs for South Africa and he is a very welcome addition to our pack of worldclass seamers,” convenor of selectors Linda Zondi said yesterday.

The 15-man squad for the two Tests includes Titans leg-spinner Shaun von Berg as the only player new to the Proteas.